


Star Trek: Generations Displaced

by epicwriter87



Series: Star Trek: Zeta Quadrant Series [1]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe, Female Homosexuality, Multi, Sexual Content, Slavery, War Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-06-03 04:24:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 59,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6596542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epicwriter87/pseuds/epicwriter87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A handful of strangers end up stranded together, lost in time and space. With the exception of a hologram, four pairs have been pulled out of different points in time; each representing some of the greatest accomplishments Starfleet and the Federation have ever witnessed. Now they must work together to return to their own timelines as they explore a vast region of space which defies creation itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Generations Displaced

**Author's Note:**

> Let's be clear on ONE thing: I intend to intimately address the topic of sexuality throughout the series, THIS IS NOT a porno in any way.  
> I don't understand how the stardate works, so I'll go by the number of days passed since Earth's First Contact and divide by 2.47. By April 5, 2403, the stardate would be 50322.51 (also accounts for leap years).  
> From this point on, the formula works like this, going left to right: Century, decade, year, week (two digits), day, and hour.  
> 100/52 weeks=1.92 (digits 4&5)  
> 10/7 days=1.49 (digit 6)  
> 24 hours/10= 2.4 (digit 7)  
> 21 days/7 days=3 weeks X 1.92=5.76+50322.51=50328.27  
> Not perfect, but consistent at least. The formula roughly fits into 1-year intervals (365.25/7=52.17 weeks X 1.92=100.18)

Chapter 1: Generations Displaced

Stardate: 50322.51

Setting: Unknown

-

     A figure gasped as she regained consciousness in the pitch black darkness. She was unprepared for the stale air, causing her to cough involuntarily. She began to slowly move her hands around in the darkness, trying to determine her surroundings. A voice cried out as she came in contact with the skin of another being.

"Who's out there!" A female voice hollered fearfully.

"T'Pol." The figure answered calmly after flinching.

"T'Pol? Where are we?" The frightened one asked.

"I can't say with any certainty." T'Pol replied with her usual Vulcan restraint.

"Do you have any memory of how we got here?"

"No, I am as uncertain as you, Ensign Sato."

"Then I don't imagine you could guess why we're naked either, Sub-Commander?"

"Not with any certainty, no. However, the most logical explanations would be enslavement or medical procedures of some manner."

     In response to T'Pol's statement, a faint blue aura surrounded the two women, accompanied with a low humming sound which they identified as a transporter beam. Within a few seconds, lights began to flicker above them. As their eyes adjusted to the abrupt brightness, they saw that their Starfleet uniforms had been beamed back onto them.

"Analysis compl-l-lete. There are no haz-az-azards present among any of the eight life forms de-de-de-detected. Bio hazard protocols cancelled." An artificial voice stuttered.

"Then we're not alone." Ensign Hoshi Sato sighed, uncertain whether to be relieved or terrified.

"Clearly this automated system is damaged. It's possible that the system has received false life sign readings." T'Pol suggested.

     The doors to the room began to part, freezing halfway through the process, further proving T'Pol's point. Hoshi stared at the doors, expecting someone to force them open and enter the room. After a tense wait, T'Pol walked towards the door and opened them far enough to step into the corridor. After looking around cautiously, T'Pol summoned Hoshi to follow. Hoshi slowly looked back at the room as she stepped into the corridor.

     The corridor was dimly lit by what appeared to be self-sufficient lighting, independent of the ship's power grid. Neither woman could make out any detail in the corridor, aside from the dim lights. They continued to look down the other corridors as the passed by intersections. When they reached the end of the corridor, they came to another set of doors which they recognized as a turbolift. The doors refused to part when Hoshi hit the panel.

"Logic suggests that this ship is running on minimal power. It's not surprising that the systems are non responsive." T'Pol pointed out.

"Where do we go from here than?" Hoshi asked with frustration.

"If we could get to the bridge, it may be possible to ascertain our situation. However, if a direct route can not be accessed, there must be an alternate route. I recommend using the access tunnels."

"I was hoping to avoid this kind of situation for a long time." Hoshi said uneasily.

"Ensign, if you are referring to the Sulliban takeover of Enterprise, that was nearly four years ago." T'Pol pointed out.

"I remember it quite vividly, so you'll have to forgive me if I seem less than optimistic, Sub-Commander." Hoshi countered as she shuddered at the memory.

"Hoshi, after encountering the _Selya_ in the Expanse, I have experienced many emotions which Vulcans only observe. I understand your fear, but it is illogical to give into your emotions before they overtake you."

     Hoshi looked into the Vulcan's face while it was illuminated by the dim light from the turbolift controls. T'Pol's usual expressionless face had begun to falter now. It seemed that her own fears and doubts were beginning to surface as well. T'Pol reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, which was generally uncharacteristic of a Vulcan.

2

"I suspect this is a Starfleet vessel, but I am likely to remain uncertain until I get to the bridge. It would be better if we stayed together, but if I am correct, there is a high probability that we are in no immediate danger." T'Pol stated in an attempt to ease Hoshi's fears.

"You're not speaking to me like Captain Archer would if he were here, are you, Sub-Commander?" Hoshi asked, still doubting the safety of the ship she was on.

"Perhaps." T'Pol replied after raising an eyebrow at Hoshi's perceptive observation.

"Well, it's working. How do we find these access tunnels though?"

"Hello?" A voice shouted in the distance.

     Both Hoshi and T'Pol crouched quickly, realizing that there weren't any intersections close enough to run down. There only hope was to keep low; the lights weren't even bright enough to cast shadows, meaning as long as they stayed below them, their bodies wouldn't interrupt the illumination. They started to move forward slowly. A second voice called out.

"I know you're out there. I'm telepathic. I can feel the presences of both of you." There was a pause before the clearly female voice added, "You don't have to fear us, we don't know where we are either."

     The two women stood up, staring into the darkness as the other two figures drew closer. When they were within ten feet of each other, the air around them had a certain quality of stillness, instinctively telling them that no one was moving. A moment of awkward silence passed before anyone spoke.

"Identify yourselves." T'Pol said calmly.

"Chief Miles O'Brien, Starfleet Engineer." A man with a seemingly Irish accent replied.

"Deanna Troi, Starfleet Counselor. Could you tell us who you are?" The woman asked, who also seemed to have a slightly European accent.

"Ensign Hoshi Sato, Starfleet communications officer."

"Science officer, T'Pol, NX-01 _Enterprise_."

"They can't be serious." The engineer said with a hint of amazement in his voice.

"No, they're serious. I don't sense any deception from either of them." The counselor answered with equal surprise.

     At that moment, the dim lights on the walls went out. A few seconds later, the corridor was flooded with light. The four people were blinded by the sudden transition, but their sight quickly adjusted. A young woman of Japanese-American origin, a young Vulcan woman who seemed unfazed by the shocking encounter, a slightly older woman, and an Irish man who was nearing middle-age all stared at each other. The restoration of emergency power confirmed what the two strangers had suspected.

"Counselor, They're the real deal, aren't they?"

"Yes, as far as I can tell, they are quite real." The counselor nodded slowly.

"Why are they surprised to see us, T'Pol?" Hoshi asked.

"Judging by their uniforms, it's logical to suspect they are from the future." T'Pol replied reluctantly as she suppressed her Vulcan skepticism.

"We're from the twenty-fourth century. Do either of you know how you got here?" Deanna asked.

"We have no memory of the event. Do either of you have any ideas?" T'Pol asked.

     Deanna shook her head after staring at Miles for a few seconds.

"I couldn't even make a guess at this point. There aren't any natural phenomenon that I know of that could transport people from multiple points in time and space simultaneously." Miles replied.

3

"Then our objective should be the same. If we can get to the bridge, we might be able to make sense of what's going on." T'Pol suggested.

"Agreed. This looks like a Federation starship. If we can access any of the senior bridge officers' logs, we might be able to determine _when_ we are at least." Chief O'Brien suggested.

"Then Captain Archer's accomplishment survived the test of time." Hoshi said with a smile on her face.

"I'd nearly forgotten. From your point of view, the Federation has just begun, hasn't it?" Deanna asked.

"The Federation is just over a year old in our time. It has endured some hardships, but continues to unite the species who strive towards peaceful co-existence." T'Pol answered as they neared the turbolift.

     The turbolift doors opened on their own accord this time. They walked into the lift and waited for the doors to close before Hoshi pressed a button on the panel. Miles smiled as the lift began to move. When Hoshi turned around, she noticed as a frown formed on her face.

"I'm sorry Ensign, it's just that by the twenty-third century, computer systems were in the process of becoming fully interactive, making voice command possible with any system, eventually." Miles explained with a chuckle.

"Oh." Hoshi replied as her cheeks started to turn red.

"It's okay, Hoshi, there's a lot you're going to have to adjust to before you can get used to this era." Deanna said softly.

"I know, I just feel so out of place. Like a cave man witnessing the use of the gun, or an early sailor watching an airplane in flight." Hoshi replied, still frowning uncomfortably.

"I understand what you mean. I don't think it's that bizarre though. You served aboard a Starfleet vessel and witnessed the birth of the Federation, surely some of this ship will look familiar to you." Deanna smiled as the turbolift came to a stop.

     As the doors parted, the four officers were shocked to see the bridge in disarray. The fact that it had remained intact was nothing short of a miracle. The consoles were all flickering throughout the bridge. The only thing that seemed to be functioning properly was the viewscreen, which Hoshi pointed towards.

"I recognize what that is." She said quietly.

     Another head popped up from behind one of the flickering consoles and locked stares with them. It was another woman. She was short, somewhat pale, and her hair was a mess, along with her blue uniform. She also had spots going down her neck. Her eyes went wide when she recognized one of them.

"Miles?"

"Ezri, is that you?" Miles replied with equal surprise.

"Well, as far as I know. Every once in a while I still wake up forgetting what gender I am." The Trill said with a nervous chuckle.

"I hope not. Your mother would probably have a panic attack." Miles chuckled with a sincere smile.

"O'Brien!" Hoshi shouted.

     At that instant, Miles felt something touch his shoulder. He spun around just in time to see a shape begin to take human form. He let out a sigh of relief as he recognized the form. The figure had a face with large ears, hollow eyes, and a flat nose. It was a figure he had come to know and trust. The Bajoran security uniform left no doubt in his mind as to who it was.

"Odo, am I glad to see you here!" Miles smiled as he patted his shoulder.

"Likewise Chief. Though to be honest, I'd prefer to be back in the Great Link, where I belong." The Changeling grunted.

"Odo? I've heard of you." Deanna said, almost as if speaking to a legend.

4

"Yes, I imagine you would have. Avoiding your mother, Luwaxana Troi, was tougher than catching Quark red-handed in an illegal smuggling operation." Odo scowled.

"My mother spoke very highly of you. She loved you." Deanna pointed out.

"I meant no respect Mrs. Troi. Your mother was an eccentric but kind person. It was just difficult to do my job whenever she was aboard DS9." Odo said softly.

"Please, call me Deanna. Sometimes I suspect you might be understating her presence, but Captain Picard didn't have it any easier. Wherever my mother went, disruptions seemed to follow her." Deanna smiled.

"I don't imagine we could have any more disruptions in a place like this. If anything, your mother's presence would probably help us here." Miles said in disbelief as he stared at a display on one of the consoles with Ezri.

"Chief?" Deanna asked.

"The systems are completely dead. Unless we can reroute power to a functional equivalent of the Bridge, we aren't going to be able to replicate earl-gray tea, much less access primary systems." Miles replied with frustration.

"Have you considered kicking it?" Odo asked with a snort.

"Cardassian transporters are one thing, but we're talking about a dead starship. I don't think I could kick a ship that hard." Miles said with a frown.

"We once turned engineering into our command bridge as a deadly storm approached. Could we do the same here?" T'Pol asked.

"Most ships are built with a secondary bridge in our time, but that's not a bad idea. If we could examine the warp core, assuming it's in main engineering, of course, we could determine whether the ship has depleted it's fuel supply or not." Miles said with a nod.

     The turbolift now had six people crammed inside as it dropped down the decks towards it's destination. They all glanced at each other from time to time. Odo finally broke the silence.

"Who are these two? I don't recognize their uniforms, but they seem to be Federation." Odo observed.

"Technically, you are correct. However, these are Starfleet uniforms of the twenty-second century. The Federation has only existed for approximately one year." T'Pol stated calmly.

"So you're from the past?" Odo asked.

"Judging by the uniforms, I'd say nearly two hundred and fifty years." Ezri guessed with a smirk.

"Very astute. I'm surprised someone of your age is familiar with our era." T'Pol said, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, I'm older than you are." Ezri said with an awkward smile.

"I find that to be unlikely."

"I'm nearing three hundred and fifty years old. The body you see is a host of a smaller life form, known as a symbiont. As the Trill host, I retain a majority of the memories passed from symbiont to host." Ezri explained.

"That is somewhat unsettling to grasp. You appear to be one third my age, but are in fact almost six times older." T'Pol replied as her emotional control began to falter again.

"I imagine there are going to be a lot of things that will be difficult to grasp, Sub-Commander. There's a lot of history we'll need to get caught up on if we can ever get this ship running." Hoshi said uncomfortably.

"Agreed."

     The turbolift came to a stop. The six of them flinched as the doors opened to reveal a Borg and a Klingon. T'Pol took up a defensive posture while the other five crouched instinctively, aware of their limited tactical options in such a confined space. As T'Pol lurched forward and Odo began to shape-shift, the Borg spoke.

5

"I am not a member of the collective, do not fear me." She stated simply, seemingly unfazed by their reaction.

"What about the Klingon?" Hoshi asked with a tone of doubt.

"I'm half-Klingon, thank you. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, chief engineer of USS Voyager." The woman replied with a hint of resentment.

"Voyager? The one that got hurtled into the Delta Quadrant?" Miles asked.

"That's the one." The Klingon nodded.

"Then you're Seven of Nine?" Miles asked.

"You are correct." The Borg answered.

"Is there anyone else we should be looking for?" Odo asked sarcastically after reverting back to his usual form.

"Normally I'd expect to find a large number of crew on a ship this large, but I'm not sensing any other presences on this whole ship." Deanna answered, shaking her head.

"There is one more member to introduce, but without full auxiliary power, we won't be able to project him." B'Elanna said with a scowl.

"No mobile emitter?" Odo asked.

"Who is this guy?" B'Elanna snapped in frustration.

"Clearly we need to properly introduce ourselves at this point. If we're going to work together, we need to trust each other. I realize the gap in timelines leaves us with skepticism and suspicion, but it's fair to say we are in a rather unique situation where we need to overlook whatever biased history may have imprinted on us." Deanna suggested.

"Very well then. I am T'Pol, science officer of the _NX-01 Enterprise_. As a member of the Vulcan High Command, I held a position equivalent to a Starfleet commander. After resigning my rank however, I became a civilian officer." T'Pol stated in a direct manner.

     T'Pol had short brown hair and dark blue eyes with long eyebrows. For a Vulcan, she was in superb health, but slightly shorter than most of her crew. She wore a tight blue shirt, matching pants, and black shoes. Her age was similar to the rest of her new crew in appearance, but was in fact older than most due to her extended Vulcan lifespan. She also displayed more emotions than most Vulcans after coming into contact with a metal compound that was deadly to Vulcan neurology.

"I'm Ensign Hoshi Sato, Starfleet linguist and communications officer of the _NX-01 Enterprise_." Hoshi said softly, barely speaking above a murmur.

     Hoshi had long black hair, dark blue eyes, and long eyebrows as well, retaining much of her Japanese heritage. She was also fit and short. She was wearing the standard twenty-second century midnight blue Starfleet uniform. She was as sociable as most of her crewmates, but had a habit of keeping personal information personal.

"I'm Counselor Deanna Troi and hold a rank of Starfleet Commander. I'm half-Betazoid, meaning I have telepathic abilities. I was previously ship's counselor aboard the _USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D_." Deanna said, smiling when she saw the smirk on Miles' face.

     In spite of only being half-human, Deanna didn't have any alien features. She had long brown hanging over the front of her shoulders and unusually black eyes. She had told friends that she was on a diet, but her body seemed perfectly proportionate to her average height. She was wearing a uniform like most of them, but Deanna's was a grayish-purple going across from shoulder to shoulder and the rest was black, including her black dress shoes. What the new crew would soon realize was that all of her alien features were on the inside.

"I'm Chief Miles O'Brien. I have a long and extensive history, but my longest assignments we're on the _USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D_ as an engineer and I served as the chief of operations on the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nice. I hold a rank of Lieutenant, by the way. I also noticed I'm the only man here, so for those who don't know me, I have a wife, a teenage daughter, and a young son." Miles said, noticing that Deanna had returned the smirk.

6

     The Chief was a man of many talents, earning the honorary nickname everyone called him by. He had short red-brown hair that had been cut from curly to a near crew cut, dark blue eyes, and a cleanly shaved face. He had a few extra pounds and was among the taller of the people around him. He wore a uniform that looked like Deanna's. Miles O'Brien lived up to his Irish heritage with high values of family and morality, even when on the job.

"I'm Ezri Dax. Dax is the name of my symbiont. I am the ninth host of Dax. My most recent assignment was as a psychiatrist on DS9, with Chief O'Brien. However, I also have experience as a mother, father, pilot, engineer, musician, and science officer through the memories of Dax's previous nine hosts. I currently hold a rank of ensign, but was previously a Lieutenant."

"No, wait a minute. Weren't you given a field promotion after Captain Sisco put in a good word for you?" Miles asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Oh, right! I _am_ a Lieutenant. Well, at least I haven't forgotten anything else yet today." Ezri frowned, wondering how she could have forgotten her best friend's act of kindness.

     Ezri appeared human, with the exception of the spots running down her forehead and neck. She had short brown hair and blue eyes. She was also one of the shorter officers, but perfectly slim and fit. Ezri wore a uniform like Deanna's and Chief O'Brien's as well. As the host of a symbiont, she had firsthand knowledge that others could only dream of, so Ezri had an open mind to almost everything, like most Trills. However, becoming a host was purely by accident; every now and then she would forget who she was.

"I'm Odo. Some people know me as Constable. I ran security on Deep Space Nine for the most part, then went back to my people when the Dominion War ended. My people used to be known as the Founders, but I prefer the term 'Changeling'." Odo said awkwardly, due to his prolonged time in the Great Link.

     Aside from his deformed face and brown Bajoran security uniform, the only other features that stood out were his combed back short blonde hair, beady blue eyes, and his solid six foot mass. Being six feet tall was not usually impressive, but Odo's true form was a puddle of liquid. Even after finding Odo's home world, there were many things which the Federation didn't understand about the Founders, due to their isolated nature.

"I'm B'Elanna Torres, chief engineer of the _USS Voyager NCC 74656_. I'm also married and have a young daughter, meaning I won't be flirting either. I'm half-Klingon, so I tend to be a loose cannon and have a rank of Lieutenant." B'Elanna said while glancing at Miles, who sent her a smirk.

     B'Elanna had blue eyes, smaller Klingon ridges on the forehead, and shoulder-length brown hair. She was slightly taller than most of the women and was more muscular thanks to her Klingon DNA. She wore a similar uniform to Ezri's, but she had gold on the shoulder section instead of purple. She had originally dropped out of Starfleet Academy because of her Klingon temper, but eventually learned discipline after seven years in the Delta Quadrant.

"I am Seven of Nine. I was previously a member of Unimatrix Zero-One of the Borg Collective. However, Captain Janeway managed to reverse the assimilation process, restoring my human physiology. I was a valued member of the _USS Voyager_  crew as a science officer before returning to Earth. I currently hold no rank." Seven stated simply.

7

     Seven of Nine was a unique woman, to say the least. She had blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and leftover remnants of the Borg technology scattered throughout her body. Seven was the tallest of the women and equally attractive, in spite of her mechanical past. Seven of Nine was on a journey to rediscover her humanity, but she found it to be the most difficult challenge she had ever faced.

"I believe that concludes the introductions. It would be wise to determine how severe the damage is to this ship." T'Pol recommended.

"Agreed. We are extremely vulnerable in this state." Seven of Nine remarked, periodically glancing over her shoulder.

     Main engineering would have been a maze compared to Enterprise or Voyager if they didn't have a clear view of the warp core. B'Elanna looked up to see that in addition to the countless work stations surrounding her, there were stations above her as well on an intricate system of catwalks. The others were looking around as well as they approached the warp core. B'Elanna tapped one of the consoles in front of her, but the only information that appeared read: EMERGENCY LOCKOUT PROCEDURES ACTIVE.

"That isn't going to do us any good. If we can't shutdown or bypass the lockout, we won't be able to access any vital information, much less determine our status or make repairs." B'Elanna said with a scowl.

"Computer, is the verbal interface functioning?" Miles asked.

"Affirmative." An artificial voice replied.

"Computer, do the internal sensors detect the life signs of any of the original crew on board?" Miles asked.

"Negative. There are no life signs matching the active crew rooster."

"Inquiry: What is the procedure for a situation like this?"

"No procedure has been devised for current situation."

"I'm not sure what we're supposed to do now. Without some kind of procedure to cancel this lockout, I don't see how we're supposed to take control of the ship. I wouldn't even dare trying to bypass a system this sophisticated. If any starship from my time sustained this much damage, nothing would be working. I doubt even _Voyager_ would survive this." Miles added.

"Maybe minimum life support, but no; it'd be dead in space." B'Elanna nodded in agreement.

"Computer, are the internal sensors and Starfleet database functioning properly?" Seven of Nine asked.

"Affirmative."

"If a Starfleet officer had proper clearance and registered on the database, could the lockout procedure be overwritten?" Seven asked, hoping to find a loophole.

"Procedure is not authorized without commander-rank clearance or above."

"Computer, recognize Commander Deanna Troi, authorization one-one-seven-beta-three." Deanna said firmly.

"Processing," There was a long pause before the computer responded, "Identity confirmed, authorization code recognized."

"Computer, cancel emergency lockout procedure, command authorization alpha-seven-three-one-beta."

"Command authorization accepted. Emergency lockout procedure cancelled. Crew rooster now records Commander Deanna Troi as acting captain until further notice."

"Computer, revise active crew rooster to include science officer T'Pol, rank of commander, linguist Hoshi Sato, rank of lieutenant, tactical officer Miles O'Brien, rank of lieutnenant, ship's counselor Ezri Dax, rank of lieutenant, chief of security, Odo, civilian officer with commander level clearance, chief engineer B'Elanna Torres, rank of lieutenant, first officer Seven of Nine, rank of commander." Deanna said slowly.

"First officer must provide authorization code to confirm revision."

8

"Computer, recognize Seven of Nine, authorization zero-zero-one-omega-one." Seven stated with a puzzled look, uncertain how to respond.

"Authorization code recognized. The active crew rooster has been revised."

"Bloody hell, there's no way that ever would have worked on _Enterprise_." Miles said in surprise.

"That shouldn't have worked on any ship. Although I retain the knowledge of many Starfleet officers assimilated by the Borg, I myself have no official status on the Starfleet rooster. The code I used does not exist." Seven of Nine said, still puzzled by the events that had just taken place.

"Then this ship must have experienced some kind of major catastrophic failure. The only thing that would make any sense would be if the systems were somehow reprogrammed intentionally or something went wrong during the reboot process relating to the Starfleet database." Miles suggested.

"Not bad, Starfleet. I mean, Chief." B'Elanna added awkwardly.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant. You may have been Maquis, but we both fought the same enemy. I was on the front lines fighting the Cardassians, just like you." The Chief said with a frown, unable to manage a smile as the wars began to flashback in his mind.

"Right." B'Elanna nodded with equal discomfort.

"Now that we have our skeleton crew, shouldn't we be working on fixing this ship?" Odo asked with a grunt.

"OF course. Unless you need me, Lieutenant Torres, I'll be on the bridge." Chief O'Brien said.

"No, I should be fine with Seven." B'Elanna replied as she turned to look back at the engineering consoles.

"I'm going to examine the rest of the ship to make sure we're alone." Odo said as he began to leave.

"Commander T'Pol will accompany you. I'd feel more comfortable if no one explored this ship alone." Deanna said.

"As you wish, Captain." Odo bowed before leaving with T'Pol.

     The remaining four crew members returned to the turbolift, remaining silent until they got on the bridge. Chief O'Brien went straight to work on what he identified as the tactical station. The other three sat in command chairs located at the center of the bridge. They stared up at the viewscreen for a moment before Deanna spoke.

"Lieutenant Dax-."

"Call me Ezri please. I know it's customary to address a person by their rank, but I've had so many hosts, it would be easier if I was addressed by the host's name." Ezri requested.

"Lieutenant Ezri then. As a counselor, I'm sure you can appreciate the value of compromise." Deanna said with a warm smile.

"Agreed, Captain."

"So, Lieutenant, as you're aware, you've probably met everyone on this ship at the moment. That being said, your contributions as a counselor would be limited. Do you have any other qualifications?"

"It's funny you should ask, Captain. In spite of motion sickness, I'm now qualified as a Galaxy-Class helmsman." Ezri said, smiling as she mentioned the irony.

"It must have been quite the accomplishment to overcome an obstacle like that."

"Actually my friend Garek helped me realize my full potential." Ezri replied, smiling again at the memory of their first encounter.

"I know of him. His involvement In the Dominion War was essential to our victory." Deanna said as she began to replay the takeover of Betazoid.

9

"What you may not know is that Garek had self-induced panic attacks when he was given Cardassian communiques to decode. He felt that by decoding them, he was betraying his people, so the panic attacks were used as punishment to combat the guilt. Captain Sisco wanted me to figure out what was wrong when Julian, I mean Doctor Bashir suspected something was wrong." Ezri blushed this time.

"You're attracted to Doctor Bashir?" Deanna asked with a grin.

"We're attracted to each other." Ezri grinned back, displaying a touch of the former host, Jadzia.

"Congratulations. Lieutenant Worf informed me of Jadzia's tragic end. I'm happy to see you two were able to move on."

"That was one of the most awkward phases of my life. Worf was so protective, yet distant at the same time. There were some moments where I thought for sure he wanted to hold me in his arms and rekindle the flame of our former marriage; yet there were others where it seemed as if he didn't want to have anything to do with me." Ezri said with a puzzled look.

"Being raised by humans has taught him much about our culture, but make no mistake; Worf is a Klingon. The most important thing I've learned about Klingons is that they are generally passionate about upholding tradition. Klingons aren't well-known for accepting change, Worf included." Deanna pointed out.

"It didn't take long to figure that out. My seventh host, Kurzon, spent a lot of time with the Klingons, but when Jadzia met Worf, she was unprepared for the stubbornness or honor that Worf had regarding tradition. If it weren't for the Breen, I'm not sure if we ever would have worked things out." Ezri smiled nervously.

"What about you, Lieutenant Sato? Do you have a special someone?" Deanna asked.

"Oh!" Hoshi replied, as if interrupted from a daydream.

"I'm sorry, you just seemed awfully quiet."

"Well, I've run into a few individuals who were interested in me, but no, I've never really had any solid relationships. I imagine the closest I've come to a relationship was our visit on Risa. I went down to the surface with Captain Archer, Malcolm, and Trip for some 'relaxation'. T'Pol suggested that the performance of the crew could be improved if they took some shore leave to ease sexual tension. When we returned from Risa, it turned out that I was the only one to relieve that tension." Hoshi smiled devilishly.

     A loud thud could be heard behind them. The three women turned around to see Chief O'Brien rubbing his head as he winced in pain. The women were staring at him with amusement now. His cheeks began to blush as he realized the center of attention had been completely shifted to him. He gave them a shy, embarrassed smile.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant. I just couldn't picture a female officer having romantic relations on Risa before her crewmates." Chief O'Brien admitted.

"Chief, that seems unusually sexist coming from you." Deanna said, temporarily falling back on her counseling experience.

"Meaning no disrespect Captain, but if I've learned anything from Keiko, women tend to practice more restraint than men."

"I consider that to be a stereotype, but it's a common occurrence among many species." Ezri nodded in partial agreement.

"Well, if you must know, it wasn't for a lack of trying on their part." Hoshi began with a grin. "Captain Archer went down to the surface with a book to read. I think T'Pol gave it to him. He eventually found a woman with a dog. The captain loves his dog, Porthos. They seemed to be getting along until he realized she was on a mission to collect information regarding the Sulliban Kabul. Malcolm and Trip went straight to a bar, hoping to leave with dates. They ended up tied up in a basement for the whole two days, but not before two alien thieves stole everything on them, including their clothes." Hoshi smiled as Deanna and Ezri broke out giggling.

"How did you get so lucky then? That seems fairly hostile for the famous pleasure planet." The Chief asked, clearly curious now.

"Well, as a linguist, the most exciting thing to look forward to is learning new languages. I spent the first day picking up as many new languages as I could. I met a strange man that night. He was impressed with my linguistic talents. One thing lead to another and on the last night, we shared a bed together. I can learn most languages in the course of a day, but his language was so complex, I could only wonder how a species like his communicated so fluently." Hoshi smiled, recalling the encounter in vivid detail.

10

"Well, I suppose we all have to be passionate about something. Ask Julian. He'll tell you how passionate I am when it comes to reliving ancient military conflicts of nineteenth and twentieth century Earth." Chief O'Brien grinned.

"I wasn't aware of this, Chief." Deanna said with surprise.

"Well, I have nothing but respect for the crew of the Enterprise, but Deep Space Nine offered me the chance to take a more active role in things."

"Which allowed you to express yourself more openly." Deanna said warmly.

"Exactly, Captain."

     At that moment, the viewscreen flickered, revealing some kind of star chart. As they stared at the image, lighting on the bridge became brighter, indicating that primary systems were slowly coming back online. The control on Deanna's chair chimed. She glanced down at the panel until she found the right button.

"This is the captain."

"Captain, B'Elanna here. Seven and I think we have navigational restored. You should come to engineering." B'Elanna said with a hint of urgency.

"Acknowledged, we're on our way." Deanna answered before pressing the button again.

     By the time they reached engineering, they saw that Odo and T'Pol had also returned. B'Elanna seemed concerned as she stared at Seven of Nine. Deanna could sense intense emotions from Seven of Nine that were approaching the breaking point. Seven of Nine stared at the star chart with a look of terror on her face. The crew was uncomfortable with the former Borg's uncharacteristic emotion.

"You recognize this place, don't you, Seven?" Deanna asked.

"I've worked very hard to forget about this region of space. The Borg have suffered higher losses here than in any other conflict to date. I've recently been informed that the majority of the collective has been wiped out in this region. There are species here that have abilities beyond our comprehension. Some of these species are so powerful that even the Q fear their power. The majority of races encountered by the Borg were peaceful, but still overpowered us when we tried to assimilate them. We are in what is known as the Zeta Quadrant." Seven of Nine answered shakily.

"Are we in any danger at the moment?" Odo asked, letting his old security training take over.

"This appears to be the first region, controlled by a species known as the Votarin. They remain neutral to all species in their sector until provoked." Seven of Nine answered with a soft voice.

"Why are you the only one who knows anything about this region of space?" T'Pol asked suspiciously.

"That will require some time to explain." Seven answered as she turned her gaze from the star chart to her new companions.

"We're still dead in space. This would seem to be as good of time as any to get educated on this region." Chief O'Brien pointed out.

"Seven, I'm sensing a great deal of reluctance from you. Have you personally been here before?" Deanna asked.

"The Borg cube I was serving aboard inadvertently entered a wormhole while moving at transwarp speed. The cube was severely damaged by the transitional phase. When we emerged from the wormhole, we realized we had entered a region of space that many species considered to be 'lost'. For reasons we couldn't determine, the region simply disappeared from all knowledge of the universe, with the exception of baseless claims and ancient myths."

"I find it hard to believe that Starfleet had no record of this 'Zeta Quadrant'." B'Elanna said, doubting Seven's claim.

"You are correct. Starfleet had limited information on the Zeta Quadrant at the time. However, there was enough information to begin an expedition. Numerous vessels were sent to investigate any unusual anomalies which couldn't be explained by conventional science. After three years, the Federation Council voted to shut down the expedition on the grounds that too many resources were being wasted."

11

"Not unreasonable. Science can only explain so much before it comes down to faith. But it didn't end there, did it?" Ezri asked with curiosity now.

"It did not. The _USS_ _Passionate_ stumbled upon one of the wormholes linking to this quadrant. However, they entered the second region, controlled by the Venomites. Three weeks later, the ship appeared in sector J-Two-Five. When a Borg cube was sent to assimilate the ship and it's crew, the collective discovered that the outer hull was all that remained of the ship. Every component of the ship, including the crew, had been removed. After twenty-seven minutes, the hull decayed until it was destroyed at a subatomic level."

"Not even Species eight-four-seven-two could launch an attack that devastating!" B'Elanna exclaimed with shock.

"Exactly. So the Borg followed the warp trail of the  _Passionate's_ course, eventually finding the wormhole. Based on the multiple encounters to come, it was determined that the Venomites had technology and intelligence equal to the Borg. Due to the extensive damage our cube had received, we were unable to defeat or even repel the attacking Venomite forces that found us. Out of two thousand Borg, only thirteen of us were taken alive. When Borg reinforcements reached me, I was the only survivor. The trauma I had received was so brutal that..." Seven of Nine stopped as a cold chill ran up her spine.

"What?" Hoshi asked.

     Seven of Nine turned to Hoshi with an empty stare which lacked any sign of life before continuing, "My existence would have been terminated if the Venomites had not reverted me to human form. Rarely are Borg drones salvaged. Once defective, that member of the collective is destroyed."

"Sorry I asked." Hoshi murmured as a chill ran down her spine now.

"There's nothing we can do to combat any threats this quadrant may hold in our current state. I suggest we continue working on repairing this ship to the best of our ability." Deanna finally spoke up, after listening to everything that had been said.

"About that, Captain. This ship has a name. It seems to be called the _RSS Convergence_." B'Elanna said, reading the display from her engineering console.

"RSS, not USS?" Deanna asked in puzzlement.

"That's what the Starfleet database says. I'll know for certain when external sensors are fully restored."

"Good work, Lieutenant Torres. Keep at it. Seven of Nine, walk with me." Deanna said as she turned her gaze to the former Borg.

     B'Elanna resumed her repairs in engineering as the rest of the crew headed back to the bridge. Deanna and Seven of Nine stepped out of engineering and turned left, walking down the corridor. Upon reaching the next corner, Deanna stopped to face Seven.

"I think you know what this is about, don't you, Commander?"

"As a counselor and a telepath, you feel that you have a duty to ensure the well-being of your crew. However, this is not an incident I wish to share the specific details of." Seven of Nine said, closing her eyes as the memories began to surface.

"I am your Captain. I am within my rights to order you to reveal the details of your capture. We all depend on your well-being to help us operate to the best of our abilities. Right now the emotions you're experiencing are pushing me to my limits as a Betazoid. What haven't you told me that you couldn't tell them?" Deanna demanded, prying further.

"Captain," Seven paused as she attempted to collect herself, "Are you familiar with the events of the Holocaust on Earth?"

"History records it as the most brutal events in human history. It led to the Second World War."

"The German movement known as the Nazi Order disregarded every aspect of humanity when they encountered those that opposed them. The victims of that event suffered verbal, physical, emotional, and sexual traumas at a scale which had never be witnessed in any other region of the universe at that time. The Nazi Order would look peaceful compared to the Venomites."

12

"I don't understand how such a thing could be possible." Deanna said, caught off guard by the statement.

"The Nazi Order had what the Borg would call 'Mercy', by killing their victims. The only time a Venomite will kill is when escape is attempted." Seven of Nine clarified.

"That's horrible!"

"No Captain. Horror is experiencing death a dozen times and remembering the process of each death after being revived."

     Deanna was flooded with images now of brutal deaths witnessed by Seven of Nine. Some of the deaths were Seven's. Deanna realized that for the first time in her life she was experiencing actual thoughts rather than emotions. The sudden shock left her breathless. She struggled to inhale as the memories continued to flood her mind.

"Seven, you need to stop this! I can't handle all of this!" Deanna gasped.

"I...cannot comply! The remaining Borg...technology seems to be...transmitting all of the stored memories!" Seven of Nine responded slowly, struggling to regain control of her thoughts.

     The two women slowly slumped to the deck, both passing out from neurological shock. Even in unconsciousness however, the memories continued to overwhelm them in the form of nightmares now. Deanna soon began to experience the memories as a victim rather than the observer. After dying for the fourth time, Deanna sat bolt upright, regaining consciousness now. She was greeted by a familiar face.

"You're...among friends." A confused but reassuring voice said.

     It was the doctor; specifically USS Voyager's EMH. He was almost completely bald and he had dark blue eyes. He was about six centimeters taller than Seven of Nine, but nearly as thin as her. He wore a light blue Starfleet uniform, signifying that he was medical staff. Though the hologram had been recognized as a living being, he still hadn't thought of a name for himself after eight years of continuous activation.

"What happened?" Deanna asked sleepily as her eyes began to focus.

"For reasons I can't explain, the nanoprobes in Seven of Nine's Occular Implant began transmitting stored memories from the Collective which were specific to this region of space. As for you, Captain; something in this region is intensifying your telepathic abilities. Until I can determine what's affecting and you and how, I can't treat you." The doctor answered as he scanned her vital signs.

"How long have we been unconscious?"

"Long enough for your crew to re-prioritize their system repairs. Lieutenant Torres found you in one of the corridors when she finished restoring the main sensor array, which was four hours ago. I don't know for certain, but I suspect you and Seven created a link during unconsciousness."

"That would explain why I felt so many presences." Deanna said as she stared ahead, still struggling to focus her thoughts, before adding, "Have you received any updates regarding the repair efforts?"

"Normally my answer would be no, but this crew seems to appreciate my value as a peer, rather than a computer program. Chief O'Brien informed me that sensors, thrusters, life-support, and short-range communications had been restored."

"Has B'Elanna made an assessment of the warp core yet?"

"Now that you mention it, she was hoping you'd come to engineering when you had recovered." The doctor answered thoughtfully.

"Am I fit to be released?"

"I'm not detecting any neurological symptoms at this time, so you should be fine. Be sure to come back if you experience anymore of these telepathic episodes."

"Of course, Doctor." Deanna walked towards the doors, turning back as they slid open. "Doctor, what about Seven?"

13

"She was conscious before you, but her nanoprobes haven't returned to normal yet, so it was necessary to sedate her."

"Is she still receiving memories?" Deanna asked with concern.

"No. However, she seems to be fighting some form of mind-control. If I didn't know better, I'd point the holographic finger at the Borg. I'll report to you as soon as her nanoprobe activity is restored, Captain."

"Be sure that you do, Doctor. Seven is the only one who knows anything about this region of space."

"Understood, Captain."

     Deanna left sickbay and entered the nearest turbolift. When she entered engineering, she could sense a great deal of urgency coming from Chief O'Brien, Ezri, and B'Elanna; they stood huddled around the warp core. B'Elanna looked up as Deanna approached the team of engineers.

"You had something you needed to discuss, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Captain. This warp core doesn't operate like any ordinary core. It's not the primary energy source, it seems to be capable of transwarp speed, and it has a containment field capable of protecting the _Convergence_ from a warp core breach."

"How is that possible?" Deanna asked.

"We don't know much about how it works right now. Until primary systems are functioning again, most of this ship remains a mystery, along with this 'Zeta' Quadrant." Chief O'Brien answered.

"I get the feeling that there's a more pressing matter we need to discuss."

"Yes, Captain. We restored the sensors about half an hour ago. You're not going to believe this, but we're somewhere in the middle of the Milky Way. According to the sensors, our location puts us over a million light-years from Earth." Ezri spoke up this time.

"That's impossible. If we're at the center of our galaxy, we should be getting sucked into a massive black hole." Deanna said as she read the navigational display on the panel in front of her.

"It's possible the sensors are still malfunctioning, but if they're not-." B'Elanna began.

"If they're not, it means something is distorting the fundamental laws of astrophysics." Deanna said.

"Exactly. No phenomenon like this has ever been witnessed, even during our seven years in the Delta Quadrant." B'Elanna said with a nod.

"Lieutenant Ezri, have any of your eight hosts encountered anything like this?" Deanna asked, still trying to grasp the idea of being so far from home without leaving the galaxy.

"Captain, I'm nearly three and a half centuries old and _I've_ never seen anything like this."

"If you ask me, Captain, I'd say it's the bloody work of Q." Chief O'Brien scowled.

"I get the feeling it's not their doing, otherwise we would have had a visitor by now." Deanna said with a frown.

"Yes, the Continuum was always in the habit of making dramatic entrances." B'Elanna said with a tone of annoyance.

"Let's assume the readings aren't false, for the moment. How long would it take to get home?" Deanna asked.

     The three engineers stared at each other. The air was filled with reluctance now, suggesting that she wasn't going to like the answer. B'Elanna finally turned to her as the other two looked down at the deck.

"According to the navigational sensors, it would take almost one hundred and seventy years at warp nine point eight. We both know that our fuel reserves would deplete almost instantly at that speed though. Most ships can't sustain a speed that high for extended periods of time anyway. Simply put, short of a miracle, not even Commander T'Pol will be alive when this ship returns to Earth, assuming it stays together that long."

14

     Engineering remained quiet as Deanna processed the information. She had never been so far from her home or her family. Even her brief visit to the Delta Quadrant during Q's 'hearing' didn't compare to this. In spite of having decades of training as a Betazoid counselor, her confidence began to waver. Ezri seemed to notice, being the only other counselor on the ship. She reached out and gently held Deanna's hand, who looked up in surprise.

"Captain, I realize this is incredibly difficult to accept, but there is no one here who is more qualified to be our captain. Most of the joinings experienced by the Dax symbiont went smoothly; as Ezri however, the joining was more difficult than any of the previous seven. I nearly resigned from Starfleet because of the difficulty that came with becoming a new host. I was the only Trill on the ship and if I had refused, seven lifetimes worth of memories would have died with the Dax symbiont. There are times when we'd like to run away, but we know if we do, we'll regret it. This is also part of compromise; do the best you can and remember to stay true to yourself." Ezri said with a confident smile.

"You're just as scared as I am." Deanna said as she looked into her eyes.

"Yes, but I have three hundred years of experience that suggests you can do this." Ezri said as her smile began to falter.

"Begging your pardon, but we'll be needing the Lieutenant's assistance if we hope to restore impulse engines." Chief O'Brien said reluctantly, breaking the tension.

"Of course. Continue the repairs and inform me if any new discoveries are made." Deanna said, as if snapping out of a dream.

"We'll keep you filled in every step of the way, Captain." Chief O'Brien nodded.

     B'Elanna stared at her as she walked out of Engineering. When the doors slid closed, she turned back towards the console and stared up at the warp core instead. Chief O'Brien had a pretty good feeling he knew what she was thinking. When she glanced over at him, she saw he had a look of amusement on his face. B'Elanna become defensive, reverting back to her old ways for a moment.

"You don't even know what I'm thinking, Starfleet!"

"Not entirely, but as a friend and a former peer to the Captain, I have a pretty good idea."

"Really?"

"I do. You're questioning whether or not she's up to the task. Now, it's true that she hasn't logged much time in the Captain's chair, but she's tougher than you think. During her final exam, she had to order her best friend to death so that the rest of her crew could be saved. Now, that may have been a holographic simulation, but she explored every other option before giving that order and she failed the exam every time. In my mind, that's what truly places the captain above the rest of his crew; if you can't give the order to send a person to their death and live with the consequences when no other options remain, you can't be a captain." The Chief said before resuming his repairs.

"Could you give the order?" B'Elanna asked after a moment of silence.

     The Chief looked up with pain in his eyes before answering, "Lieutenant, many officers my age would probably have their own command by now. I've been an engineer, a tactical officer, and a soldier. Now I'm a husband and a father with a growing daughter and a young son. You have a child, so I think you can understand where I'm coming from on this. When you're a parent, the worst thing you can ever do is abandon your child. That's why I choose to be an engineer."

     The two officers locked gazes now. B'Elanna nodded after imagining the scenario and flinching when she reached the conclusion. She turned around and resumed her repairs, trying to block the images out of her head. Chief O'Brien also tried to bury memories of a specific incident from Deep Space Nine as he resumed his repairs. Ezri continued to stand there with an open mouth after witnessing what had just transpired.

     The doors to Engineering parted again. Seven of Nine stepped into the room. She looked sweaty and disoriented as she staggered towards the crew. Ezri was quick to catch her as Seven fell to her knees. B'Elanna and the Chief also knelt beside her. Miles tapped his combadge.

"O'Brien to the doctor, medical emergency in Engineering."


	2. The Quadrant of Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new crew of the mysterious vessel RSS Convergence begins to explore the Zeta Quadrant when the warp drive is restored. Even with the speed and power of the Convergence, however, the dangers Seven of Nine warned of soon become a reality when they encounter a Venomite slave ship.

Chapter 2: The Quadrant of Fear

Stardate: 50322.63

Setting: Zeta Quadrant

-

"Seven, I'm sure you'll make a fine officer and you've been a proficient Borg, but you are the most stubborn patient I've dealt with during the last decade of my activation!" The Doctor exclaimed with irritation.

"Seven, what was so important that couldn't wait?" Deanna asked.

"Captain, you have seen the memories of the collective. Those memories are not entirely mine as an individual, but they are real. The longer we stay in the Zeta Quadrant, the more likely we are to encounter one of the more aggressive species that occupy this region of space. The Borg wiped all information of the Zeta Quadrant out of the Starfleet database for good reason. As a Borg it was strategic. We couldn't risk humanity forming an alliance with a species we were powerless against. As an individual, however, I can tell you that the majority of First Contact reports in this region were...tragic, to be blunt." Seven explained as the Doctor scanned her vital signs.

"How tragic?" B'Elanna asked, who was standing behind the Doctor.

"Many species have found their way into the Zeta Quadrant, including the Borg, Dominion, Romulans, Klingons, and Cardassians. Many species from the Federation have also entered, but out of one hundred and twenty-three reports, there were only seventeen occurrences where they survived and escaped the encounter."

"This region is actually that brutal?" The Doctor asked, not hiding the panic on his face.

"Doctor, recall every negative encounter the _Voyager_ crew experienced in the Delta Quadrant. Imagine it has become compressed into a single point in time. Now imagine it has become a repeating time loop. This scenario would pale in comparison to the danger of an inter-quadrant war in the Zeta Quadrant."

     The Doctor's throat changed visibly as a lump began to form. An uneasy silence choked the room as everyone comprehended the magnitude of danger that the crew was actually in. An awkward silence filled the room for quite some time. Only when Deanna's com-badge chirped did the silence cease.

"Go ahead."

"Captain, I thought you might like to know the _Convergence_ has begun repairing itself." Chief O'Brien said with a hint of amusement.

"What? How is that possible?" Deanna asked in disbelief.

"This ship seems to be equipped with some type of self-repairing replication system with micro-transporter devices. It's the most sophisticated work of engineering I've ever seen."

"What's our status, Chief?"

"We now have weapons at sixty-three percent, long-range communications and long-range transporters are online, shields are at full power, impulse engines are online, and main power should be fully restored within eight hours. Warp drive will probably take at least twelve hours."

"Is that all?"

"No Captain. I think I've found the primary power supply. You're not going to believe this, so you'll want to see for yourself. I'm on deck two, section twenty-two." The Chief answered with an impressed chuckle.

"We're on our way. Troi out." Deanna faced the Doctor before asking, "Is my first officer fit for duty?"

"Normally I'd say no. However, due to the danger that this region of space seems to present, confining her to Sickbay doesn't seem to be an option. So, this is the alternative." The Doctor paused as he placed a small device above her ocular implant before continuing, "I believe you've become quite familiar with the neurocortical monitor by now, Seven. I'm also injecting you with a neural suppressant to block out any further intrusive transmissions."

"Thank you, Doctor." Seven of Nine said smoothly after the Doctor had finished using a hypospray.

"If you want to thank me, you could consider reducing the level of unnecessary risks you've been taking since we met." The Doctor replied with a scowl, knowing that she would continue to remain as reckless as she had ever been.

2

"I'll keep that in mind." Seven answered as she turned to leave Sickbay; Deanna was close behind.

"He has a point, Commander. As my first officer, you need to minimize the risks you take. We're short-handed as it is. If anything happens to you, there won't be another officer to replace you." Deanna pointed out.

"I'll keep that in mind, Captain." Seven replied dismissively.

     Deanna grabbed Seven of Nine's shoulder and spun her around. Seven was surprised by Deanna's aggressive action. The two woman locked eyes for a moment until Deanna was certain she had her first officer's attention.

"I shouldn't have to remind you Commander of your strategic value to this crew. Without you, we have no way to defend ourselves from the threats that are in the Zeta Quadrant." Deanna said softly with a hint of anger.

"Captain, I have no intention of putting this crew in danger. However, I have no intention of encountering those threats either."

"As the captain, my goal is to get my crew out of the Zeta Quadrant and back to where they all belong. If you've served on a Federation ship before, your goal should be the same."

     Seven stared thoughtfully as Deanna began to walk away. The first officer quickly caught up with her as she approached a turbo lift. They walked in together. As the turbo lift began moving, Seven broke the silence.

"Captain, are you prepared to face all of the dangers that the Zeta Quadrant holds?"

"Excuse me, Commander?"

"The images you saw were of a single species. However, there are nearly a dozen hostile species native to this region of space and neither Starfleet or the Federation have any experience with them." Seven of Nine pointed out.

"Computer, halt lift." Deanna turned to face Seven of Nine as the turbo lift stopped before asking, "What are you suggesting then, Commander?"

"I'm suggesting we interact with as few species as possible while traversing this area of space. Relations between the native species here is highly volatile. If we were to assist or request assistance from any species in the Zeta Quadrant, it would likely shift the balance of power."

"We have a crew of eight, Seven. How do you expect us to leave this region without a full crew?"

"Chief O'Brien stated that the ship is capable of repairing itself. If we avoid conflict, our difficulties should be minimal."

"We both know that's not possible, Commander. Don't forget, I'm Betazoid; I can sense your emotional fluctuations. Unless you believe what you're saying, I'll know when you try to lie or withhold information. Right now, I can sense serious doubt and immense fear from you. What is so disturbing that would compel you to avoid civilization in the Zeta Quadrant?" Deanna countered, beginning to feel her own emotions fluctuate now.

"Alright, Captain, I see keeping secrets will be more difficult with you than it was with Captain Janeway."

"Everyone has secrets, Seven, but I don't expect any members of my crew to keep secrets that could endanger the people around them." Deanna said with a hint of frustration.

"Very well. This region of space has been identified as the 'Quadrant of Fear' by the Klingons. They chose the name well, which is in itself frightening coming from a formidable warrior-class such as the Klingons. Many of the species in the Zeta quadrant are peaceful or neutral towards strangers. The few species which are not civilized, however, will view even our interactions with the more peaceful species as an act of war. As I stated, any contact with the Zeta Quadrant will shift the balance of power." Seven of Nine said frankly, failing to hide the nervousness in her voice.

"Computer, resume lift."

3

"Seven," Deanna said slowly with a pause, stepping out of the turbo lift as the doors parted a few seconds later, "I've been fully briefed on the _Voyager_ crew's encounters in the Delta Quadrant. I intend to uphold the Prime Directive to the best of my ability, just as Captain Janeway did. Let me be clear though; regardless of what consequences we may face, I have no intention of abandoning my duties as a Starfleet officer or as a human being while we're out here."

"If there's one thing humanity rarely lacks, it's commitment." Seven replied with a look of amusement.

     Deanna glanced at her for a split second to return her look of amusement, knowing that her statement had not been intended as a compliment. After a few moments of wandering the corridors, the two women finally reached deck two, section twenty-two. The Chief glanced up at them with a grin on his face. B'Elanna stood beside him with an equally satisfied grin.

"What's beyond those doors that has you two so impressed?" Deanna asked with a faint smile.

"This is going to leave you speechless, Captain." The Chief said, still grinning.

"Lieutenant Torres, would you like to offer a better explanation?" Deanna asked again, turning to face the Klingon engineer.

"The most I can say is this: The world of engineering will never be the same again." B'Elanna answered slowly.

"Captain, I believe this is one of those times where you might say, 'You have to see it to believe it'." Seven suggested as she stared at the engineers.

     Deanna stepped forward and tapped one of the buttons on the wall panel. The doors slid apart to reveal a sight that she hadn't been prepared for. The room was massive; numerous consoles and stations were scattered along the walls and in the center of the room. Seven of Nine stepped past Deanna, equally surprised to see the room.

"I stand corrected, Captain. We will not be able to depend on the _Convergence's_ self-repair system for the duration of our journey." Seven murmured.

"What exactly am I looking at?" Deanna asked, staring at the massive chamber located in the center of the room.

"Captain, this appears to be the first multiphasic energy conversion matrix. That chamber can harness, in theory, any form of energy known to civilization and convert it into any energy source we need. The Federation made it a high priority study in the hopes of creating this very device, but in most cases, we just didn't have the knowledge required to convert the energy to the desired alternative." Chief O'Brien explained.

"You're telling me that this matrix is the primary power source, not the warp core?" Deanna asked, still amazed at the sight.

"Exactly, Captain. With the multiphasic energy conversion matrix, we would never have to worry about our antimatter supply going dry. The matrix could convert any energy source into antimatter and replenish the core at any time." B'Elanna confirmed with restrained excitement.

"However, without an adequate crew, there's no way to maintain these systems." Seven pointed out bluntly.

"That's right, Commander." Chief O'Brien said with a frown.

"Chief?" Deanna asked uneasily.

"I've been looking over the specs with Lieutenant Torres in engineering. This ship is capable of sustaining warp nine point nine-nine-nine for _brief_ periods of time."

"How brief?"

"Three hours. In addition to the strain on the warp core, the structural integrity field would collapse after three hours." B'Elanna answered with a grimace.

"That's amazing. What's the problem?" Deanna asked, sensing their discouragement.

"According to the long range sensors and navigational star charts, we're in the Votarin region. The nearest populated system is over three thousand light-years away." The Chief answered.

"Seven, could you improve our systems to enhance our warp drive?" Deanna asked.

4

"That is unlikely, Captain. In many ways this ship is already equal or superior to Borg technology. Ordinarily, this ship would be compatible with Borg transwarp technology, but this region of space has proven to be unpredictable. As for the warp drive; at warp nine point nine-nine-nine it would take three weeks to reach Votalchu, the Votarin home world."

"Captain, you do realize how large of a gap it is between nine point nine and nine point nine-nine-nine, right?" B'Elanna asked.

"No, Lieutenant."

"It would take us over half a year to get there."

"With a three hour limitation and twenty-four hour cool down time, we're not going to get there much quicker, Captain." The Chief pointed out.

"That is correct, Lieutenant O'Brien. With the warp limitations of the _Convergence_ , it will take us approximately ninety-two days to arrive. Although we would get there in less than half the time, three months without outside contact is a considerable obstacle to overcome." Seven of Nine stated.

"And we still don't have warp drive for another twelve hours, correct?" Deanna asked.

"We could speed it up by a few hours, possibly, but we're not going to do much better with a few extra hands. With a full crew, we could cut the repair time in half easily, but we don't have that luxury as you can see, Captain." Chief O'Brien said with a scowl.

"Agreed. Our top priority is stabilizing essential systems and primary power. Continue monitoring the progress and let me know when we have warp capability. We'll be on the bridge." Deanna sighed.

     _Captain's Log, Star Date 50322.69: In spite of my Betazoid heritage and Starfleet training, I still struggle to fully comprehend my role as the captain of a ship that shouldn't exist. Furthermore, the members of my crew, like myself, have been pulled out of time and out of space. Although the RSS Convergence is nearly fully operational again, we're undermanned and possibly under-qualified to run this ship. The most unsettling fact however is that we remain unable to return home._

    Deanna stood in her ready room for the first time. The room was luxurious; she doubted even a vice-admiral had a room like hers. The office was somewhat cramped and lacking. The walls were a pale gray with a built-in replicator on her right, the doors behind her that lead back to the bridge, and another set of doors to her left. The desk was next to the replicator, in the corner behind her; aside from a console and a small display screen, the desk was as bare as the walls. In front of her was a large dark gray couch which faced five oval windows, allowing her to see the aft section of the ship. The rest of her office was bare.

     However, the doors to her left belonged to her quarters. Deanna had reached the conclusion that whoever had previously commanded the  _Convergence_ felt it was necessary to remain as close to the bridge as possible. Although it had never been done on the  _Enterprise_ , Deanna could see the benefits of being just a few steps away from the captain's chair, rather than a few decks. The room was similar to her previous quarters on  _Enterprise_ , but were slightly larger.

     Deanna heard her com-badge chime.

"Go ahead."

"Chief O'Brien here. We've got the warp engines online. We should be able to sustain warp nine point six for a few days, but we're going to need a fuel source after that. Apparently our fuel reserves were either salvaged or depleted while the _Convergence_ was left drifting."

"Understood. Good work, Chief. Deanna out."

     Deanna turned around and left the ready room. When she stepped onto the bridge, everyone looked up at her, awaiting orders.

"Lieutenant Ezri, set a course for the Votarin home world, warp nine point six."

"Aye, Captain."

5

"Odo and Hoshi, what have you learnt about the Zeta Quadrant so far?"

"Many of the species in this quadrant are incapable of warp speed and seem to resent the use of advanced technology. Most of the species have complex languages and multiple dialects." Hoshi replied.

"Have you learned any of the native languages yet?"

"Not entirely, Captain. I'm beginning to grasp the structures of Votarian and Elzofian, but without contact with these species, I have no way to know for certain if I'm getting it right."

"It will have to do. Odo," Deanna turned her gaze to the changeling, "What have you discovered so far? How dangerous are these species?"

"As Lieutenant Sato pointed out, many of the species in the Zeta Quadrant are technologically inferior to us. The species that aren't could be a very serious threat, however. As the Chief of Security, my primary concern is the safety of the crew and the passengers on this ship. What I've discovered is concerning, to say the least. Commander Hansen was indeed telling the truth when she described the Venomites. They are brutal in all aspects of life and seem to have no grasp of mercy." Odo began, stopping as Hoshi's gaze met his.

"Which is why I've made the Venomite language my top priority. It's proving more difficult than the other languages so far."

"Keep working on it. What else can you tell me, Odo?"

"According to our database, there are thirty-one major species in this quadrant. Nine are classified as peaceful, nine are neutral, three are aggressive, four are hostile, and six are quadrant-wide enemies. Practices such as sexual slavery, execution, piracy, child labor, and terrorism thrive in the Zeta Quadrant." Odo said with a look of disgust.

"I get the impression that turning a blind eye won't be an option then." Deanna said, attempting to ignore a chill that went up her spine.

"There were a lot of things I didn't see eye to eye on with Captain Sisco, but he taught me that sometimes you have to break the rules to do what's right."

"I think that's probably the most obvious trait our role models have in common. They knew when it was necessary to cross the line to uphold the principles they stood for." Deanna acknowledged.

"I guess that means it's your turn to decide when it's necessary to cross the line." Hoshi murmured.

"Ask yourself, 'What would Picard do?'." Seven of Nine said, causing Deanna to turn and face her.

"I'm not sure if that advice would be the most helpful. Maintaining our individuality will be vital to our survival in the Zeta Quadrant." Deanna said uneasily.

"You may be correct, but Captain Picard, like many of Earth's historical leaders, stood firm to a strong sense of morality and made it a point not to waver in the face of danger. I believe his example will benefit you regardless of how your individuality differs from his."

"I believe the captain is contemplating how she plans to interpret those principles in a region that feeds on immorality." T'pol said as she stood up from her science station.

"That's it exactly, Commander T'Pol. There's no one out here to interpret the rules for me, so aside from my crew, I'm on my own."

"Captain, although my experience with emotions is limited, I've observed that humans often make their decisions with the intention of honoring their role models, or making them proud, as you might say. Though it may lack logic, I suspect pride in this context may be able to guide you when you're in doubt." T'pol said calmly.

"Remember Captain, the crew of a ship is more than just a rooster list of duty officers; your crew is your family. If you fall, we'll do everything we can to pick you up." Ezri added as she spun her chair around to face the others.

"Of course. Thank you Lieutenant; I wouldn't normally forget something like that, but this situation has been incredibly overwhelming." Deanna said, managing to hide the embarrassment she felt.

6

"Do you require our assistance, Captain?" Seven asked after a long silence.

"Yes. Commander T'pol and Commander Hansen, I need you in astrometrics. According to Lieutenant O'Brien, we have three days of deuterium left before we're completely dead in space. We need to find a compatible energy source before that happens."

“Agreed, Captain.” Both Commanders stated.

T'pol and Seven left the bridge and proceeded to astrometrics from the turbolift. Deanna went back to the console Odo and Hoshi were at.

“What else can you tell me about the species of this quadrant?”

“Captain, I've never seen a region of space with this much diversity.” Hoshi answered after looking up.

“In what way?”

“I don't even know where to begin. According to the data we've seen so far, there are species that kill their children for being born with mismatching eyes, others that embrace abnormalities, and one that considers violence to be a capitol offense. The customs and beliefs of these species range anywhere from civilized to barbaric.” Hoshi replied without attempting to conceal the fact that she was overwhelmed.

“We've also found evidence to suggest that some of the species in this quadrant have a very strict code regarding morality. One in particular, the Bazuli. There's almost no useful data on the Bazuli, but it's likely they judge a species by it's own moral code when a crime is suspected.” Odo added in amusement.

“Odo, if I didn't know better, I'd suspect you're feeling admiration towards this race.” Deanna said after studying his face for a moment.

“That's because they bypass the red-tape their own species may have by judging the species by their own code. As a mediator for the Cardassians, the Bajorans, and the Federation, I admire a species capable of maintaining justice without being held back.” Odo replied with a grunt.

“And the species without a moral code, like the Venomites?” Deanna asked suspiciously.

“According to the firsthand accounts of other species, there is no red-tape. The Bazuli seem to destroy any Venomite vessel they cross paths with.” Hoshi answered uneasily.

“What about other species on the ship; prisoners for instance?” Deanna asked alarmingly.

“We don't have that answer unfortunately, Captain. But as a defender of justice, I can only hope that they spare the lives of innocents before such actions are taken.” Odo replied.

“I'd like to have a talk with these Bazuli eventually.” Deanna said as she began to turn around.

“I don't expect you'll have to wait long, Captain. The Bazuli no almost nothing about the human species, much less our moral code.” Hoshi spoke up.

     This fact caused a sudden wave of discomfort and fear to hit Deanna. If the Bazuli decided that the human race lacked a moral code due to the lack of contact between the two species, there would likely be no chance of diplomacy. The last thing Deanna wanted was an enemy driven by a moral code of justice; from their point of view they were keeping the peace.

"Inform me of any other discoveries you make regarding this diversity." Deanna said before briefly addressing Ezri, "Lieutenant Ezri, keep us straight and steady. I'll be in my ready room until needed or well rested."

"Not to worry, Captain. Navigational sensors aren't detecting any detours at this time." Ezri said with a nervous smile.

7

     T'pol and Seven of Nine continued to study the star charts that were available in astrometrics without success. The damage to the  _Convergence_ had left almost all of the library database corrupted. That fact combined with the unusually long silence the two commanders had observed for the last hour drove T'pol to her breaking point.

"This is unacceptable." T'pol said, clearly frustrated.

"The fact that we can not locate an alternate fuel source?" seven asked, raising an eyebrow as she turned to face T'pol.

"That would be the 'tip of the iceberg', as humans say." T'pol answered as she struggled to compose herself.

"Explain."

"Even after the Xindi ambushed and nearly destroyed the  _Enterprise_ , our database remained intact. No weapon could cause this level of internal damage." T'pol stated.

"On the contrary, technology has advanced considerably over the last three centuries. Borg weapons are designed to cripple a ship rather than destroy it, maximizing the number of crew and passengers we can assimilate as drones." Seven countered calmly.

"Inhumane, but logical for the expansion of your species." T'pol said as she looked over at a screen.

"Humanity is irrelevant to the Borg. Their only goal is to adapt and conquer. As for logic; it has its advantages at times, but logic is often ignored by the Collective." Seven replied coldly.

"Captain Archer encountered the Borg once. Their ability to adapt was remarkable. After assimilating a survey team and the crew of a civilian transport that didn't exceed warp one point eight, they had created a formidable war vessel. Our phase pistols were essentially ineffective as well. Captain Archer ordered the ship destroyed after stating the crew was beyond saving."

"Captain Archer was most likely correct. After three centuries of Borg encounters, the only cases of full reversal from Borg assimilation are Jean-Luc Picard and myself. The Borg only have one purpose: Self-preservation through adaptation, survival, and conquest."

"The Borg are cold and methodical, this is clear. The fact that another species is able to overwhelm them is a greater threat than I originally realized."

"Indeed. On the topic of overwhelmed," Seven of Nine paused before looking up to lock gazes with T'pol, who could sense what was coming, "How did you lose the ability to suppress your emotions?"

"When the  _Enterprise_ began searching for the Xindi, it was suggested that a rare ore could help us counter the effects of unpredictable spatial anomalies. However, we later learned that the ore was toxic to Vulcan physiology and I grew addicted to the effects of the ore after initially losing all composure."

"In essence, addicted to your own emotions?" Seven asked.

"Correct." T'pol answered as she glanced back at one of the screens.

"What was it like?"

     T'pol turned suddenly to face Seven of Nine. Seven was caught off-guard when she saw a mixture of emotions flood T'pol's face. They continued to stare for a moment until T'pol was able to compose herself again. She slowly held her right hand up.

"I suspect that words would not be enough to describe how I felt. It may be easier to simply share those feelings with you."

"A mind-meld?"

"Precisely."

"Very well. I have experienced this practice before. Proceed."

     T'pol placed one hand on Seven's face, slowly making the mental connection. She pushed herself to her limit maintaining her composure and mental discipline. T'pol had never attempted a mind-meld after her addiction to the trellium-D.

8

"My mind, to your mind. Our minds are merging," T'pol paused briefly with a shudder, "Our minds...are one."

     The background was distorted and unfocused as Seven attempted to make sense of what she was seeing. She struggled to determine which memories were whole and which ones were scrambled. Her body tensed as a sharp pain resonated in her head. T'pol sensed this as she attempted to focus on a specific memory. The memory slowly came into focus as Seven's pain dulled.

     She was in a lively city at night dressed in modest mid twenty-first century female clothing. The lights seemed dim and the color was still slightly faded, but she knew she was on Earth. Seven followed T'pol into a bar. The bar seemed to have a questionable reputation based on its clientele and the hint of passionate jazz music. Another Vulcan spotted T'pol and approached her immediately. He had an unusual smirk on his face that seemed to contradict his usual Vulcan attire.

     The scene faded away, along with the clothes of the two Vulcans. They were now in a room making passionate love on a bed. Seven was instantly enveloped by the sheer emotion of T'pol's memory. T'pol attempted to end the meld at this point, but Seven of Nine wanted to feel more. After a moment of struggling, T'pol managed to regain control and sever the mental link between the two women.

     Both T'pol and Seven were breathing heavily now. Seven stared up at the ceiling, still overwhelmed by the uncharacteristic emotional intensity of the meld T'pol had shared with her. T'pol stared down at the floor as a flood of silent tears streamed down her face. When both Women were composed again, T'pol looked up at Seven of Nine, who was still dazed.

" _That_ ," T'pol said calmly but firmly, breaking Seven's daze, "That is what addiction feels like, Commander Hansen."

"My apologies, Commander T'pol. Outside of the holodeck, I've never experienced an intimate relationship. I was unprepared for something so intense."

"I'm not familiar with a holodeck, but sexual attraction seems to be one of the more intense emotions a human experiences. It's not surprising that you were caught off-guard. Captain Troi had stated her telepathic powers were being intensified by this region of space and it's possible that mine are as well, which could also explain why the meld was so intense."

"Who was the other Vulcan?" seven asked directly.

"His name was Tolaris. I met him during one of the earlier expeditions on the  _Enterprise._ He claimed that he had successfully found harmony with emotions and logic." T'pol paused as the memories threatened to bring her emotions to the surface again.

"That is unlikely. Even the Borg do not attain perfect emotional control, in spite of our extensive knowledge and complete disconnect from individuality." Seven replied frankly.

"You are correct. Tolaris is the one who made me aware of the mind-meld. However, the technique requires both delicacy and strict mental discipline. A mind-meld is more intimate than sexual intercourse in some aspects."

"Making such a technique a violation if performed on an unwilling participant. Commander Tuvok reminded me of this during my time on  _Voyager_ in the Delta Quadrant. Were you a victim of this technique, Commander?"

"I was. I managed to refuse his advances, but the meld left me in sickbay for some time and I later found out that I had a fatal illness as a result of the violation." T'pol answered hesitantly.

"You were cured, were you not?"

"I was, but not before another Vulcan was socially exiled to protect my life and my status as an officer in the Vulcan High Command."

"Such aspects of life continue to confuse me. How can any species exist with such close-minded, absolute ideals?"

"The Borg's concept of discarding individuality is also an absolute, is it not?" T'pol asked calmly as they locked eyes again.

"The Borg Collective has survived and defeated nearly all challenges as a hive-mind, but yes; with the exception of the queen, the concept is absolute. However, Captain Janeway eventually taught me to question even that concept."

9

     One of the screens chimed. T'pol looked down before entering a command into her console. The display was transferred to the large screen centered at the back of the room. The two women slowly walked around the large console in the center of the room and stared at the display.

"I'm not familiar with this phenomenon." T'pol stated after a moment.

"That isn't surprising. Even the species of this century have rarely seen this event. But this is impossible; a cluster of this size can't be possible." Seven said softly, amazed by what she was seeing.

"Commander Hansen, what am I looking at?" T'pol asked uneasily, sensing that something was wrong.

"Commander T'pol, this is a nebula consisting entirely of Omega molecules." seven answered, still staring at the screen.

"Why is this nebula impossible?"

"Because the Omega molecule is the most powerful and most deadly substance in the universe. It has the power to wipe out entire star sectors." Seven answered after turning to face T'pol.

     Seven tapped her com-badge, "Commander Hansen to Captain Troi. We may have a serious problem. Please have everyone meet us in astrometrics."

"We're on our way, Commander. Troi out."

     After a few moments, B'Elanna was the last to arrive. Her eyes went wide as she looked at the screen; Deanna looked back at B'Elanna after sensing her emotional response to the image. She glanced at Seven for confirmation. Seven gave her a slow nod before beginning her report.

"This nebula has been scanned three times with our long-range navigational sensors. The database confirms that this nebula is a pure Omega nebula."

"What is Omega, Commander Hansen?" Deanna asked.

"There have been numerous experiments with the Omega molecule, and all have ended in catastrophic failure. It is agreed however that there is no substance in the universe more powerful than the Omega molecule. A single molecule can wipe out an entire sector of space. For this reason, the Federation has classified this information; a rank of Starfllet captain or higher is required to even know what I've just shared with you." Seven of Nine stated uncomfortably.

"You're not finished, Commander. Remember our discussion regarding secrets."

"Of course, Captain." Seven paused before continuing, "It is the Borg's collective belief that the Omega molecule is the only thing which surpasses Borg perfection, making it the Borg's 'holy grail', as you might say. There is one other aspect of the Omega molecule which I will allow Lieutenant Torres to share."

"Right," B'Elanna blurted out before composing herself, "In addition to its destructive power when mishandled, a single Omega molecule will prevent warp travel through the sector affected."

"How long does this effect last?" O'Brien asked.

"The effect is permanent. A Federation scientist attempted to work with the Omega molecule over two hundred years ago; warp travel still remains impossible in that sector today." seven answered gravely.

"Bloody hell!" O'Brien exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, it's the only energy source we've detected within two hundred light-years." T'pol spoke up after a long silence.

"You can't be serious." Odo scowled.

"Mister Odo, I am a Vulcan. Although I am capable of lying, it's not in my nature to do so." T'pol responded.

"Of course. I meant no disrespect, Commander T'pol." Odo said apologetically with a bow.

10

"Chief, is the multiphasic energy conversion matrix capable of converting Omega Molecules?" Ezri asked, succeeding in breaking the tension.

"I don't know. We couldn't create a stable molecule, much less convert it." Miles answered.

"I think it can." Deanna said confidently.

"What makes you so sure, Captain?" Hoshi asked as everyone turned to face their captain.

"I'm glad you asked, Lieutenant Sato. What key trait defines a captain?" Deanna asked her crew.

"The ability to determine when it's necessary to take a risk." Seven answered.

"Yes and no."

"Being able to piece the available information together and taking a 'leap of faith' based on the conclusion which has been reached." T'pol suggested.

"I suppose that might be the Vulcan equivalent." Deanna nodded.

"Learning when to trust their gut, sir." O'Brien answered with a grin.

"That's it exactly, Chief. A captain has to be able to rely on their gut when the solution isn't obvious. What I see is a massive nebula which should have wiped out the entire quadrant but remains stable. Furthermore, based on the available star charts we have and the number of species capable of traveling at warp speed, it seems unlikely that this sector could be so vast without the use of Omega molecules. Lastly, we know that this ship is the design of alien technology; if they have the means to make Omega molecules compatible with their systems, then it would make sense that the  _Convergence_  does as well."

"It's quite a gamble, Captain, but considering our options, we don't seem to have a choice." B'Elanna said nervously.

"Make no mistake, Lieutenant Torres, this may be the most dangerous refueling procedure we've ever attempted. We're lost and we're vulnerable; this is a situation I intend to correct but we need to overcome our fear and our doubts to pull this off. Understood?"

"Yes Captain." B'Elanna answered with a look of determination in her eyes now.

"Good. Ezri, set a course for the nebula and maintain current speed."

"Aye sir."

"B'Elanna and Seven, see if there's any way to stretch the remaining deuterium supply."

"Understood Captain." Seven nodded.

"Chief, I need you to start studying all of the systems on this ship. If anything fails, I want to know what we're losing and what we can do to keep the essentials on-line."

"Of course, Captain."

"Odo, continue to gather data on the species of this quadrant. I want to know what we might encounter when we reach this nebula. If the Omega molecule can be harnessed here, it seems like a tempting watering hole."

"And watering holes have predators. Understood, Captain." Odo agreed with a grunt.

"T'pol, continue looking for alternative energy sources while familiarizing yourself with astrometrics. If we can avoid the Omega nebula, that would be preferable."

"As you wish, Captain."

"Hoshi, you're with me." Deanna said after turning to face the uncomfortable lieutenant.

     The two women walked towards a different turbolift as the rest of the crew quickly went about their assigned tasks. Deanna sensed a feeling of nervousness from Hoshi now. She suspected that the woman was preparing for bad news. Deanna placed a hand on her shoulder as they walked into the turbolift.

11

"Main bridge." Deanna said before waiting a few seconds, "Computer, halt lift."

"I'm not fit for duty, am I, Captain?" Hoshi asked without hesitating.

"Not in your current state, no." Deanna answered softly.

     Hoshi stared down. Deanna waited patiently for Hoshi to look up again. The nervous lieutenant was greeted with a smile when she faced her captain, who had been closely studying her.

"I'm not here to relief you, Lieutenant. I wanted to encourage you. You may be more out of place than anyone here, but we're all just as confused and insecure as you. If you ever doubt yourself, just remember this; the crew of a ship is like a family. If anyone on that ship has a problem, they deal with it together. That hasn't changed in the last three centuries."

"Thank you, Captain. I've just felt so overwhelmed here. I can barely access the library database and I'm expected to interact with species that don't even exist in _your_ timeline. This is like leaving Earth on  _Enterprise_ all over again."

"Computer, resume lift." Deanna turned to face the doors now when she spoke again, "Hoshi, diplomatic relations throughout history started with misconceptions and false information. It took time to for those leaders to get their facts straight and learn to trust each other. I don't expect you to be someone you're not; you're human and you're going to make mistakes, but as long as you learn from them and do everything in you're power to make things right, I won't ever think lesser of you."

"Thank you, Captain. Normally I'd say you don't know how much it means to hear you say that, but since you can sense my emotions, I guess you do." Hoshi chuckled.

"Hoshi, regardless of why you ended up here, you  _are_ my diplomatic ambassador. I can't think of anyone else more qualified for the job." Deanna said with a warm smile.

"I'll do my best not to let you down, Captain Troi."

"I know you will. As for my telepathic abilities, they seem to be intensifying as we get closer to civilization. I'm beginning to wonder if this sector, or perhaps the whole quadrant thrives on telepathic activity. It's somewhat embarrassing to admit, but lately I've been sensing people's thoughts. Up until now, they were just glimpses." Deanna admitted uncomfortably.

"You sensed my thoughts just now?" Hoshi asked with a hint of surprise.

"Just the one relating to your early voyages on the  _Enterprise_. Bodies hanging in a room on an abandoned ship. Something about their physiology was desired by another species. When you tried to explain that the  _Enterprise_ was investigating, not attacking, the ship that was sent to retrieve the bodies nearly allowed you to be destroyed by the species that actually killed the crew of the abandoned ship. You were...so afraid."

"That doesn't normally happen to you, does it?" Hoshi asked as she observed the look of confusion on Deanna's face.

"No, I'm half human. I only have half of my Betazoid species' telepathic abilities. Wherever this place is though, it's intensifying my telepathic abilities at a...terrifying...RATE!" Deanna murmured before screaming.

     At that same moment, the doors to the turbolift slid open to reveal the Doctor, standing by.

"Captain, what are you experiencing? You're brain activity is off the charts?!" The Doctor asked frantically.

"Everything! Pain, suffering, anger, greed, rage, joy, ecstasy...I feel...everything!" Deanna said hysterically before passing out.

"Doctor, the captain is not the only one with overtaxed telepathic abilities." T'pol said with a pained expression on her face as she stepped out of another turbolift on the opposite side.

"Vulcan physiology. Of course. But Commander T'pol, you're the highest-ranking officer on this ship now. Who will take command if not you?" The Doctor asked nervously.

12

"I believe I can manage if you give me neural suppressants to counteract the telepathic activity." T'pol suggested.

"Commander, that's a temporary fix, not a solution. I need to determine what the underlying cause is before we lose our two highest-ranking officers!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Begging your pardon, Doctor, but I don't think that ship is here to greet us." The Chief warned as he directed everyone's attention to the view-screen.

"You are correct, Lieutenant. That is a Venomite warship. Tactical alert! Polarize the hull plating!" T'pol shouted uncharacteristically.

     The Doctor managed to inject the neural suppressants before she jumped to the captain's chair. Miles gave T'pol a confused look as he proceeded to raise the shields. The ominous ship in front of them made no attempt to attack or evade. T'pol stood up, staring at the screen before facing Chief O'Brien.

"What is the meaning of this, Lieutenant?" T'pol asked, clearly agitated.

"I'm as confused as you are sir. This doesn't make any sense to me."

     There was a soft chime as one of the panels on the captain's chair began to flash. T'pol fumbled around until she found the right button.

"T'pol."

"Commander, that ship is a holographic projection created by a satellite drone." Seven of Nine stated.

"Captain Troi has become incapacitated, placing me in command. The image is a decoy?"

"My apologies, Captain. You are correct. We are in danger, however; the drone is relaying our location to the nearest Venomite ship. It's only a matter of time before we are attacked."

"Then we'll remain at tactical alert. T'pol out." T'pol looked over at O'Brien again, "Lieutenant O'Brien, lock phase cannons on the satellite and fire when ready."

"Begging your pardon, Captain, but we don't have phase cannons."

"What weapons is this ship equipped with?"

"The phase cannons were taken out of service by the more powerful phaser bank by the twenty-third century, sir."

"I didn't ask for a history lesson, Lieutenant. Now lock weapons and fire." T'pol scowled, failing to contain her annoyance.

"Aye Captain."

     Miles looked down and tapped a few buttons on the console. A couple of seconds later, a bright red-orange beam streamed across the screen, hitting the center of the 'warship'. The image of the projection wavered before a massive explosion caused the  _Convergence_ to shake. The lights flickered briefly before the shock-wave dissipated.

"Lieutenant! What was that?!"

"I'm checking now, sir!" Miles glanced down hurriedly at his console before looking up and replying, "The calibration  of the phaser emitters was incomplete, causing the system to overload when we fired. I'll look into it right away, Captain." Miles said as he began to leave his station.

"That won't be possible, Lieutenant. There is no one to relieve you should we encounter another enemy vessel." T'pol stated after taking a deep breath.

"Captain, that satellite did more than just relay our position."

"Explain."

"There's some kind of psychotropic drug scattered throughout the ship. It wasn't there before we sighted the projection of that Venomite ship."

"Are you suggesting that this drug is causing the symptoms the captain and I have been experiencing?" T'pol asked anxiously.

"I can't say with certainty, but it seems possible."

"Very well. Lieutenant O'Brien, you're in command until I return from sickbay."

"Aye sir."

13

"Chief, have you ever seen a Vulcan react like that?" Ezri asked when T'pol had left the bridge.

"Not since we had Ambassador Sarek on the  _Enterprise_. Right before he began negotiations with the Legarans we learned that the ambassador had Bendii Syndrome."

     T'pol managed to stagger into sickbay before collapsing. After taking blood samples and multiple scans, the Doctor began treating T'pol. As she lay on the bed, T'pol couldn't help but listen to the incoherent murmurs of Deanna. She listened intently, but soon found the murmurs to be too disturbing. The Doctor glanced down to notice T'pol's discomfort.

"The captain has been in this state for the last two hours now. Initially the murmurs were screams of protest and anger. She spoke of horrible violations and repeated abuse, at first; later it became submissive sobbing and now senseless rambling."

"That would seem to be consistent with prolonged sexual trauma." T'pol answered with a shudder.

"I get the impression that you reached this conclusion through more than just logic." The Doctor said delicately as he set his tricorder down.

"Indeed." T'pol began, pausing to gain full mental discipline, "I was briefly held captive by the Orion syndicate. They intended to sell me as a slave to the highest bidder. The images I saw during my mind-meld with Commander Hansen were far more disturbing, however. Slaves of the Venomites are treated like cattle; when they no longer serve a purpose, they're slaughtered. However, unlike cattle, these slaves are slaughtered repeatedly until they die from natural causes."

"What kind of people are these Venomites?" The Doctor asked rhetorically.

"They're not people, Doctor. They are the pure embodiment of evil, or they would be if such a creature existed." T'pol stated coldly, sending a chill down the Doctor's spine.

"That seems like a highly emotional statement for a Vulcan."

"You're response to my statement was highly emotional for a holographic projection." T'pol countered.

"Yes, well I was originally programmed to display a level of emotion which was appropriate for my occupation. Due to an accident, the chief medical officer was killed and I was forced to adapt after continuous activation." The Doctor replied nervously as he picked up the tricorder again.

"My circumstances were similar. At the time, no Vulcan had ever successfully held a position on a human vessel before. We distanced ourselves from humans due to their...volatile nature, which directly contradicted our practice of emotional restraint. I too adapted as a result of prolonged interaction with the  _Enterprise_ crew."

"It would seem that you're not the only one who struggles to understand the nature of human nature."

"I've observed this as well. Odo and Commander Hansen seem to be puzzled as well." T'pol paused before locking eyes with the Doctor, "Logic suggests that you also struggled with human nature after your activation."

"Yes, it was difficult to cope with the situation at first, but over time it became easier to process all of the new data that my program received. Eventually I was even recognized as a member of the crew. I'm quite proud to say I may very well be the first hologram to possess a soul." The Doctor smirked.

"You are the result of contributions from many accomplished physicians over the course of centuries, Doctor; I fail to see how those contributions have given you a 'soul'." T'pol stated calmly.

"Under normal circumstances, you'd be correct, Commander. However, due to my continuous activation in the Delta Quadrant, I was forced to improvise. Thanks to an unfortunate accident, none of the crew on _Voyager_ were proficiently trained to perform my duties and we had no knowledge of the region we were in. I was only programmed to calculate, diagnose, and treat my patients during emergency situations when I was activated. Now imagine you've seen the same physician for twenty years; he has a dry personality which displays nearly complete emotional detachment with the exception of annoyance. He's blunt, rude, inconsiderate, and remains insensitive to your emotions. Could you really stand that physician for twenty years straight?"

14

"Doctor, I am a Vulcan. I'm trained to suppress my emotions. If the physician's statements are based on logical observation, I see no reason to take offense."

"Commander, I scanned your neural pathways earlier. The level of degradation I detected suggests that you're no longer immune to that insensitivity I mentioned. However, the point still remains that most species wouldn't tolerate that type of blatant disrespect."

"So you were reprogrammed. There must have been members of the crew who were trained to perform maintenance on your system and programming."

"Lieutenant Torres has the most experience with my system and she certainly considered reprogramming me on countless occasions, but  _Voyager_ didn't have the resources to spare. As the only qualified medical officer, the personality of my program had to evolve and I had to evolve on my own. I assure you, Commander, technology has advanced more than you may realize over the last two centuries."

"Captain Archer has suggested on many occasions that I should keep an open mind. Perhaps  _this_ is one of those occasions." T'pol said after a brief silence.

"I would appreciate it if you did, Commander. Life isn't simply defined by biological urges and blood cells."

"As you wish, Doctor." T'pol nodded after raising an eyebrow.

"Good, now that we have that cleared up, perhaps we can focus on  _your_ current condition."

"Concerning the psychotropic drug that affected me."

"Exactly. I've managed to stabilize the activity in the mesiofrontal cortex, but the neural pathways that allow you to access your telepathic abilities have become dormant."

"How is that possible?" T'pol asked after sitting upright.

"I don't have an explanation. This drug's chemical composition is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I can't identify it's structure, determine it's origin, or even begin to hypothesize what kind of damage it can inflict on a species." The doctor stated with a note of panic.

"Therefore you have no way of determining whether the effects I'm experiencing are temporary or permanent."

"Exactly! I can maintain your lifesigns, but for all I know it could be some kind of virus designed to systematically shut down your higher brain functions until you become a vegetable, or worse!"

"Then I see no point staying here if there's nothing more you can do. Unless I'm at immediate risk of further mental deterioration, I should resume command of this ship."

"I also see no reason to keep you here. Report to me at the first sign of trouble though."

"Of course, Doctor."

     T'pol stood up and slowly walked out of sickbay as she experienced a momentary episode of disorientation. Although all of her senses were working adequately, her surroundings seemed dim. The Vulcan realized she had never attempted to function without her telepathic abilities as she entered the nearest turbolift.

"Main bridge."

     Her emotions began to overwhelm her as she allowed her past memories among humans to resurface. T'pol knew that her meditation techniques would be less effective now, but she called on her training nonetheless. When the turbolift doors parted open, she began to feel her emotions settle down. The Chief returned to his station as T'pol claimed the captain's chair again.

"What's our status, Lieutenant O'Brien?" T'pol asked calmly.

"We're holding steady at warp nine point six and all systems are operating at one-tenth efficiency."

"Explain." T'pol said as she leaned forward.

 The Chief swung his chair around to face T'pol before explaining, "The  _Convergence_ runs on a power matrix that's unlike any I've ever seen. That being said, we're operating on main power, but it's still equivalent to reserve power. Until we reach the nebula, we won't be able to operate above one-tenth efficiency."

15

"How are we able to sustain this speed then?"

"According to Lieutenant Torres, the multiphasic energy conversion matrix is able to recycle the spent warp plasma, rather than expelling it like most ships would."

"Fascinating." T'pol turned to face Hoshi and Odo, "What have you learned about the Venomites during my absence?"

"We haven't found any loopholes we can use as leverage against them. All available data suggests that they don't have any religious beliefs, known fears, or other weaknesses we can exploit at this time. They have plenty of allies, but not that would be willing to help us." Odo replied with a scowl.

"When we dug deeper, it became pretty clear that even in joint operations, Venomite superiority stands." Hoshi added.

"They don't take orders from anyone." T'pol stated.

"Exactly. There's no historical record of Venomites yielding command to another species."

"In fact, there are records of Venomite defeats as a direct result of Venomite refusal to acknowledge their allies as equals." Odo grunted.

"Explain." T'pol said as she raised an eyebrow.

"On stardate four-five-three-seven-seven point eight-two, a combined force of Venomite and Wyntolite warships invaded what's now called the Ulitozian Empire. The initial attack was a crippling blow and allowed the combined fleet to set soldiers on the Ulitozian home world. However, on stardate four-five-three-eight-one point one-four, the Venomite and Wyntolite forces turned on each other when neither leader would yield command to the other. The Ulitozians launched a rebellion that drove both forces out within a month." Odo said, shaking his head.

"This seems like a weakness we could use to our advantage then." T'pol suggested.

"That was our thought as well, but historical records also show that the Venomites have never lost a conflict when using their own forces." Hoshi replied.

"It would seem we're at a disadvantage without further data regarding Venomite physiology. A general psychological profile of the Venomite species would better assist our efforts to combat them."

     The lights dimmed as the ship went to alert status.

"It's a Venomite ship, Commander! It just decloaked of our aft starboard bow. Their shields and weapons are fully powered." O'Brien warned as his fingers flew across his console.

"Scan the ship. What kind of threat do they pose?" T'pol demanded.

"It's a slave ship. There's at least two hundred Venomites on that ship. They've got about as phaser banks and torpedo tubes as we do. Their thrusters are formidable and they seem to be extremely well-shielded. We might be in trouble."

     At that instant, the ship rocked from weapons-fire. The _Convergence_  continued to take a beating as the Venomite ship launched a relentless attack before passing by. The consoles were flickering now as a result of the damage they sustained.

"Report!"

"Shields down to forty-seven percent! Whatever they're using is draining our reserve power at an alarming rate. Their next pass will cripple us if we don't do something!" O'Brien warned.

"Seven of Nine to Commander T'pol. Lieutenant Torres and I have discovered something that may save us."

"What?"

"Apparently the captain's 'gut' was right. This ship has the capability to compress Omega molecules into a directed energy beam."

16

"A weapon?" T'pol asked anxiously.

"Yes."

"their coming in for another pass, Commander!" The Chief warned as the console alerted him.

"Lieutenant, divert all available power to our shields and the Omega weapon!"

"Done." O'Brien said.

"Commander Hansen, this is your field of expertise. Fire the Omega weapon when ready!"

"Understood."

     The crew braced themselves as the enemy ship attacked again. The consoles on the bridge went dead as a humming began to fill the air. A bright blue beam burst from above the bridge as the Venomite ship approached the center of the viewscreen. The ship came to an immediate halt as the discharge sent electrical discharges along it's hull before leaving it crippled and defenseless. The consoles slowly flickered back on.

"Report."

"The Venomite ship has lost all power. Life support will fail in five minutes." O'Brien replied slowly after taking an extensive scan.

"You seem surprised, Lieutenant."

"Yes sir. Initial readings before our attack showed a crew of two hundred and twenty-nine Venomites on that ship. In the time it took for our systems to come back on-line, all two hundred and twenty-nine Venomite lifesigns have faded. According to these new readings, there are still two hundred and fifty-five lifesigns on board."

"T'pol to engineering, can you confirm our readings of the Venomite ship?"

"Lieutenant Torres here. We got the same readings down here."

"How long will it take to transport the survivors?"

"Normally it would take at least an hour. Seven of Nine has a way to get all of them before they suffocate, but it's not without risk."

"Commander Hansen, what's your solution?" T'pol asked as she felt a sudden wave of anxiety overwhelm her calm.

"I believe this ship has the ability to perform a mass transport. However, the more patterns we put in the transporter buffer, the greater the instability on the transporter system will become. The bio-filters won't be able to protect us from possible viruses under that much stress. Lastly I cannot be certain we have enough power to successfully transport that many beings simultaneously." Seven of Nine explained.

"Under the circumstances, I don't think we have a choice, sir." Ezri spoke up as she sensed the tension on the bridge.

"Commander, the lifesigns are beginning to fade!" O'Brien exclaimed.

     T'pol and Ezri both approached science stations.

"Now Commander!"

     After nearly ten seconds, the main computer accepted the command. Power failed instantly, with the exception of life support and the transporter systems. The consoles began to spark as the power demand continued to surge.

"Torres to T'pol, we've got half of them!"

"Status." T'pol asked as she approached the edge of panic.

"We're cutting it close. The transporters are experiencing a cascading failure upon completion. If even one of these transporters fails before transport is complete, we won't be able to get them back!"

17

    The bridge was beginning to fill with smoke now. The air began to feel thinner as well, suggesting that life support was failing. The lights were slowly dimming. The lights went out, leaving just the dim display on the science consoles. After another moment, the science consoles went down as well.

"T'pol to engineering, did we get them?!" T'pol asked frantically, no longer able to suppress her emotions.

     There was a moment before Torres responded, "We got them...Commander. Our reserves...have been depleted by twenty-eight percent...but we got them."

     A sudden surge of air filled the bridge as emergency lighting flickered on. The crew gasped as life support returned to normal. Ezri, Hoshi, and Miles slowly sat up, before looking down at their consoles. T'pol was briefly dazed as well in spite of her superior lungs. She looked over at the Chief after composing herself.

"What's left of our reserves?"

"We're running on two percent of emergency reserve power. We've got four emergency thrusters and life support on decks two, three, four, seven, and eight. Everything else is completely dead."

"sickbay?"

"Also off-line."

"T'pol to engineering, we need a way to restore power to our essential systems. Do either of you have any solutions?"

"Give us a moment, Commander! We're being flooded with frightened survivors! I'll get back to you once we have the situation under control!" B'Elanna shouted over a mob of voices.

"Understood."

"Commander, we've also received a number of the survivors." Odo said as he stared at two small groups of aliens.

     The rest of the crew turned to face their new guests. T'pol stood by her chair, uncertain how to proceed.

_Commander's log supplemental: After a brief but deadly encounter with a Venomite slave ship, we now have two hundred and fifty-five new passengers. Due to the encounter, we've lost all but two percent of our emergency reserve power. Commander Hansen suspects we may be able to convert residual traces of the Venomite ship's depleted power to a compatible energy source, but it would only raise our reserves by three percent. Captain Archer's presence would make me considerably more calm right now; I am uncertain how to proceed in this situation._

     B'Elanna continued to attempt making repairs in engineering, but she was no longer alone. The engine room was now filled with numerous alien species she'd never seen before. Tried as she might though, her Klingon emotions continued to build up until one of the aliens bumped into her. She spun around and hissed at the new passenger, who jumped back in surprise.

"How can anyone expect me to accomplish anything with all these people around me?" B'Elanna growled as she resumed repairs.

"I doubt any kind of training could prepare an officer for this situation. However, some of these species have adequate knowledge to assist you with repairs." Seven of Nine suggested.

"That's great, but it doesn't do us any good while the universal translator is down!" B'Elanna scowled.

"Actually, that's not quite true." One of the aliens spoke up.

     The alien appeared to be a young woman. She had smooth green skin, long dark red hair, bright yellow eyes, and small curved horns above the ears that appeared to be made of bone. She was about one point seven meters tall and weighed less than fifty-five kilos. The rags she wore were far more revealing than she would have preferred. Seven of Nine glanced up at her.

18

"Species one-two-two-four-one, Elzofa. The only species native to the Zeta Quadrant that speaks English as their primary language."

"You're a Borg?" The alien asked suspiciously.

"I was. A human vessel rescued me from the Collective while exploring the Delta Quadrant."

"Are there anymore of your kind on this ship?" The Elzofa asked, remaining alert as she looked around.

"I am the only being of Borg origin on this ship." Seven replied before returning to her repair efforts.

"Some of the slaves told me stories of Borg invasions all throughout the quadrant. They think the Borg have built a base somewhere."

"My personal experiences in the Zeta Quadrant lead me to believe that would be unlikely. The beings in this region of space are superior to Borg technology. I highly doubt that The Borg would be able to stay in the Zeta Quadrant without taking massive casualties."

"I'm more interested in finding someone who can help us speed up repairs to the main power grid." B'Elanna said before looking up to face the Elzofa again, "Do you know anyone who could translate for me? If we could communicate with these people, it would make my job a lot easier."

"She's my best friend. I'll try to find her." The Elzofa said before turning to leave.

"Wait. It'll be easier to find you in this crowd if I know your name." B'Elanna suggested.

"My name is Taluni."

"B'Elanna Torres."

"If you'll excuse me, I need to find my friend now." Taluni said before leaving.

"Well, that makes one down. Just got to meet the other two hundred and fifty-four." B'Elanna scowled.

"Lieutenant, I doubt there's anything more you can do under these circumstances. As I just stated-."

"No training could prepare me for this, I know. That doesn't mean I have to like it though." B'Elanna said bluntly, cutting Seven off.

     Taluni began searching the ship for her friend, but she had no Idea where to start looking. It was at time like these that the Elzofa wished she had her friend's telepathic abilities. She felt so blind having to search every deck without any clues to point her in the right direction. She asked everyone she passed, but no one could help her.

     Something grabbed her from behind as she approached the next turbolift. She tried to jump away, but whatever had her was gripping her too tightly. Taluni turned around to see a figure taking shape. She was shocked to see the figure had become a humanoid man.

"And what might you be up to during this crisis?" The man asked suspiciously.

"I'm looking for a friend. B-." Taluni briefly paused, trying to remember the name she had just heard, "B'Elanna Torres needs my help!"

"I'm not sure I can trust you just yet, but it's a relief to know the universal translator is on-line again."

"The universal translator is still down. I speak English."

"Maybe; or maybe you're a telepath powerful enough to manipulate my thoughts."

"No! I wish I was. My friend is though. B'Elanna Torres wants my friend to use her telepathic abilities to translate for her with the other species. The Borg drone thinks they can help you fix the main power grid." Taluni pleaded.

     The man tapped a piece of metal on his shirt before speaking, "Odo to B'Elanna; have you requested the aide of a telepath to help speed up repairs to the main power grid?"

     After a second, the metal seemed to speak back, "That's right, Odo. An Elzofa female named Taluni said she had a friend who could translate telepathically for us. Is there a problem?"

19

"I don't know yet. I'll keep you informed. Odo out."

"I'm Taluni. I'm trying to find my friend, but I don't know where to look."

     Odo released his group on the Elzofa woman, but remained suspicious. He stared at her closely, trying to determine if her emotions were betray and expose a lie. After a moment, he relaxed his stance and sighed.

"I apologize, Taluni. My species is suspicious of outsiders. Unfortunately, that trait has been passed onto me as well. Normally, It would be easy to find your friend, but other than life support, nothing is working right now, including internal sensors. I'd use a tricorder, but I don't even know where to find one."

"I've seen ships like this before. Don't your physicians carry scanning devices?"

"Of course! Sickbay!" Odo exclaimed.

     Odo continued walking to the turbolift with large strides, nearly leaving Taluni behind.

"Computer, deck seven."

"I've checked deck seven though, there was only one door that wouldn't open for me. I was about to check the lower decks."

"I'd advise against that. Unless you can survive without air, everything below deck eight is uninhabitable at this time." Odo warned as he shot her a stern look.

"That's why the transporter redirected me then. I was on deck eleven, but then I was transported to deck eight."

"In engineering. All of our systems were failing when we brought you here. The transporter sensors must have detected the failure in life support and beamed you to safer area."

"I didn't know your ships could do that." Taluni said as the turbolift came to a stop.

"Nor I, but there are a lot of things we don't know about this ship right now."

"How large is your crew?"

"For now, there are eight of us; nine if you include our holographic doctor."

"You were able to run this ship with eight crew members? How is such a thing possible?"

"It's not." Odo scowled before continuing, "I'm a security officer. My knowledge of ship operations is limited. Our captain has been unconscious for twelve hours now. the remaining six all seem to be fine officers, but for the most part, this ship has been running itself."

"That must be why the Venomites did so much damage."

"This situation may have turned out differently if we had a proper crew running the ship, but our energy reserves were running low to begin with. If it weren't for a lucky shot, we wouldn't be standing here."

"K'Mara said the Venomites were only running at fifty percent power. If they had been at full power, I'm guessing you would have been destroyed."

"Why did they only use half of their power?"

"The Venomites always take prisoners. There can't be any prisoners if no one survives their attack." Taluni stated coldly.

     They finally reached sickbay. Odo tapped a button on the wall, but nothing happened.

"Computer, security override, Odo-three-seven-three-alpha."

     There was no response.

     Odo's hands shifted into thin needles. Once he had one stuck in the crease between the doors, he started to expand the needle. The doors started to slide open. He then put the other needle between the door. When the needles were wide enough, they shifted into metal bars, allowing him to open the doors with brute strength.

20

     Upon entering the room, he discovered that Captain Troi was no longer in her bio-bed. As he began looking around, he spotted another alien. Odo became alarmed when he realized that it was a brutalized female. She released a wave of energy that threw Odo against the wall above the bio-beds when he attempted to approach her; had he not been a Changeling, the fall probably would have broke his back.

     Odo became a gelatinous liquid as he hit the bio-bed below him. He then took solid form next to the bio-bed as Taluni rushed to his side. They both focused their attention on Odo's attacker. Taluni let out a gasp.

"K'Mara!"

     Taluni rushed toward the alien, but she too was greeted by a wave of energy. Odo shifted again, catching Taluni with a mitten-like hand before she hit the wall. He took a step back and raised his hands as he shifted back to normal. He addressed the alien with a soft voice.

"We're not here to hurt you. We've been looking for you though. My people need your help to fix our ship."

_What sinister plans do you have for me, Changeling?_

"I'm not telepathic, I can't respond telepathically. I can't defend myself against your abilities either. If you're in my head, you must be able to confirm that I'm telling the truth."

_That remains to be seen. How did I get here?_

"We transported you from the Venomite ship. The ship's life support was failing and we brought you here."

_ACTUALLY, YOU BROUGHT YOURSELF HERE._

Odo and Taluni clutched their heads as they fell to their knees in agonizing pain. A second voice was speaking in a calm tone, but it sounded like a deafening roar. Odo looked down to realize that he was beginning to lose his shape. He lifted his head up to face the alien as her appearance began to falter. The image suddenly shattered all around him as two distinct figures became visible.

     One was the alien. She had purple skin, small orange spots that seemed to trace an outline of her body, bright red eyes, and light green hair. She appeared to be one point eight meters tall and perhaps forty-eight kilos, but it was difficult to tell since she was curled up in a ball to cover her nakedness. She was crying now.

     Sitting next to her was Captain Troi. She didn't look too well either, but she was conscious and aware of her surroundings. She blinked her eyes as if coming out of a trance. She slowly looked up at Odo and Taluni. At the same instant, their pain ceased all at once.

"You're quite right, K'Mara. I'm not ready to tap into that power yet." Deanna murmured.

"Captain, would you like to explain what just happened here?" Odo asked as he slowly stood up.

"I'm not sure where to begin, Odo." Deanna replied, still in a daze.

"We've been attacked by Venomites, our reserves are at two percent, and this ship now has an additional two hundred and fifty-five passengers. We don't have time to wait until you've recovered." Odo said bluntly.

"You should probably start with K'Mara." Taluni said as she knelt down next to her.

"Aside from the fact that she just attacked us, why her?" Odo asked suspiciously.

"Because K'Mara is the one who killed all of the Venomites on that ship." Taluni answered as she hugged her tightly.


	3. The Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their encounter with the Venomite slave ship, the RSS CONVERGENCE is on the verge of complete systems failure as the original officers attempt to integrate over two hundred and fifty former Venomite slaves into the passenger manifest. With all of their lives at the mercy of a failing life support system, Deanna orders her crew to begin interviewing the passengers.

Chapter 3: The Crew

Stardate: 50323.21

-

_Captain's log supplemental: We absorbed all of the energy we could from the Venomite ship, but we were only able to raise our energy reserves by two percent. We continue to scan the Venomite ship for additional energy sources, but there doesn't seem to be anything left to salvage from it. The new passengers we've received are also struggling to cope with this situation, both as freed slaves and marooned passengers; if we don't replenish our energy reserves soon, their freedom will be short-lived. What's more disturbing is that one of our passengers appears to be responsible for the deaths of over two hundred Venomites._

    The crew was seated around a table in Library Archives as they discussed the events that had taken place. K'Mara and Taluni were also present among the crew, dressed in blue Starfleet uniforms. Everyone seemed to share the same level of discomfort as the room remained shrouded in an awkward silence. The Doctor decided to break the silence after staring around the table a few times.

"Normally I'd thank you for making my restoration a priority, but under the circumstances, I feel quite useless here. I have absolutely no knowledge regarding anatomy or physiology of Zeta Quadrant species."

"Actually, many of the species here are accomplished physicians. It wouldn't be hard to provide you with all of our combined medical knowledge." Taluni said softly.

"That may be true, but my program has limits as to how far it can expand. Too much data will cause my program to decompile."

"Not in this case, Doctor." B'Elanna countered.

"How so?" Deanna asked.

"The EMH program is linked directly to Library Archives memory. Based on what we can tell, the Doctor's memory bank is three times larger than the one he had on  _Voyager_." Seven of Nine stated.

"I don't get it then. If the Doctor has direct access to the Library Archives, why can't he simply download the medical files from there?" Deanna asked, more curious now.

"I looked into that, Captain. Apparently the data files in the Library Archives are completely scrambled. We're still trying to separate Zenarian mating rituals from files pertaining to Odari spiritual beliefs. We can't risk transferring any of the Archive data to the Doctor's program until it's completely reformatted to match it's corresponding file." Chief O'Brien explained.

"So I have a seemingly infinite memory bank. That won't do me much good working with people who don't even know how to run a cellular scan with the sickbay computer." The Doctor stated with concern.

"That's one of the reasons we're having this meeting. We're undermanned and lacking vital information needed to survive in the Zeta Quadrant. Under normal circumstances, we'd all be replaced by a more competent crew. However, we have no reinforcements here. All we have to work with is what we have on this ship right now and our resources are draining fast."

"Are you suggesting we enlist the passengers as members of the crew, Captain?" T'pol asked calmly.

"I don't think we have a choice. Whatever our cultural differences may be, our only chance of survival is if we work together."

"As unorthodox as the approach may be, it does seem to be the only logical course of action. Based on previous scans, there are no inhabitable planetary bodies within fifty light-years, which rules out the possibility of using the escape pods." T'pol agreed.

"Logical perhaps, but risky. We have Prodation, Ulitozian, and Mutorian lifesigns on this ship. Based on the data we have, all three of those species are feared and hated in this quadrant." Hoshi warned.

"And to make matters worse, we have an Alanuma on board, known to be the Prodation's sworn blood enemy. We'll be entering their region of space when we leave the Votarin sector." Odo pointed out, advising caution.

2

"Meaning a confrontation between the two passengers is inevitable, it's just a matter of when." Deanna nodded in understanding.

"Yes, Captain, but we should also prepare for bloodshed."

"Are you serious, Odo? Do you have enough evidence from the data files to support the claim?"

"We think we do, Captain." Hoshi said quickly, continuing, "The Prodations and Alanuma originally coexisted on one planet around three hundred years ago.. However, when the Alanuma began to pursue the study of technology and science, they were forcibly exiled by the Prodations. Based on Alanuma star charts of the twenty-fifth century, the Prodation colonies still avoid all contact with the Alanuma. I may just be a linguist, but I'm not sure I could forgive someone if they took my home away from me for being too curious."

"There is one more issue we need to address before continuing." Ezri said awkwardly.

"No Lieutenant Ezri, it would do more harm than good in your situation. You can use it as a rough guideline, but with a crew of eight plus a hologram, you're going to have to make an exception this time." K'Mara blurted out with annoyance.

"K'Mara, what are you talking about? Are you reading our minds?" Deanna asked.

"Captain Troi, she's speaking of your Prime Directive. She's concerned about the idea of sharing technology with the species in this quadrant. However, without those species, you can't maintain the systems on this ship. Your choices in this instance are to ditch the Prime Directive or ditch your ship."

"My apologies, Captain, but it must be becoming clear by now that K'Mara is still a child." Taluni pointed out quietly.

"How old are you?" Hoshi asked.

"I'm three and a half." K'Mara answered timidly.

"That explains a lot, Captain. According to our research, the average lifespan of a Dajoni is only eighteen years. For every year we age, they age by five years." Odo said as he stared at her.

"The Dajoni are also gifted telepaths from birth, but without proper training, they lack the control to utilize their abilities. Unfortunately, this often causes dangerous situations even with the best of intentions" Taluni added.

"Well, K'Mara, you have a point. We can't run this ship without your help. I still think the Prime Directive should be observed until it threatens our survival."

"That may prove difficult, Captain. Our survival could be threatened in many ways. A direct attack from an aggressive species would be considered a threat to our survival." T'pol stated.

"That scenario is certainly at the top of my list." Deanna agreed.

"However, the loss of our warp core, or navigational sensors, or even replicators would also be considered a threat to our survival." T'pol continued.

"That's true. You want to know when the threat has become too great to uphold the Prime Directive?" Deanna asked.

"I think that should be one of the first ground rules we set for the crew of this ship." B'Elanna said with a nod.

"When the threat to survival is so great that no other alternative is available or has been exhausted and only if the risk to the species around us is acceptable." Deanna answered confidently.

"You seem to have given this considerable thought, Captain." Seven pointed out with amusement.

"I have. Before I was admitted to sickbay, I considered the possibility of enlisting species of the Zeta Quadrant as crew members. To do that, I would have to be willing to share technology with those species, either directly or indirectly. The only conclusion I could reach was that we would have to share our technology equally with any species that wished to form an alliance with us." Deanna said hesitantly.

3

"Captain, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're suggesting we form our own Federation in the Zeta Quadrant." Odo said as he stared at her.

"I suppose I am, Odo. When we first began to explore the galaxy, we formed the Federation to protect our neighbors, exchange information, and promote the ideals of peace. I think those goals still stand, but we're not here to come to the aide of others like we've done so many times before; this time we're seeking the aide of those around us. If our rules prevent us from seeking help, then damn the rules! We live by a code of morals and ethics, but we're not supposed to be killed by them." Deanna exclaimed.

"Captain, meaning no disrespect, but your starting to sound like the bloody Maquis." O'Brien said with a frown.

"Don't get me wrong, Chief. I don't intend to wrong a species, morally or ethically. I also feel that if we have the ability to save a people from danger, we should. But if we break our rules, we do it because we have the means to right the wrong we've made."

"Captain, I'm sure you mean well, but perhaps you should consider resting. I'm detecting increased activity in your paracortex. Frankly, I don't see how you avoided projecting your emotions with psilosynine levels as high as yours." The Doctor noted with deep concern.

"She's not in control. I am." K'Mara said with slight difficulty.

"Begin interviewing the passengers and come back to me with your lists of recommendations. Aside from K'Mara, Taluni, and the Doctor; you're dismissed." Deanna murmured after a brief silence.

     After a moment of silence, Deanna stood up and began pacing around the table. The other kept their gazes on her while she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. The Betazoid came to a stop and sat down again. She locked eyes with K'Mara as she spoke.

"K'Mara, ever since I was in sickbay, I've been able to sense another presence within me. You admitted to waking me up and controlling my telepathic abnormalities. But I think there's something you've left out."

"I projected myself into your mind as soon as the satellite detected your ship. I'm sorry, Captain, but the dreams you were experiencing were actually memories from my past." K'Mara said uncomfortably.

"So why did you choose me as your host?"

"You were the only presence I could sense who was capable of enduring all of the pain and suffering I'd be sharing."

"Sharing?" Deanna asked.

"K'Mara was born on that ship, Captain. For the last two years, she has been the Venomite's 'favorite' slave. The first and only time she tried to project herself, she killed forty-five of her fellow captives." Taluni explained when K'Mara failed to respond.

"Those weren't just past memories you shared with the captain, K'Mara. In addition to the foreign long-term memory ingrams I detected, I witnessed the formation of new, short-term memory ingrams. Most species we've encountered don't form short-term memories without some form of internal stimuli. Based on her life signs and sleep-talking, however, it's highly probable that her new short-term memories were created by violent external stimuli."

     K'Mara began to cry again.

"Those weren't just memories I was witnessing. That was you at that exact time."

     K'Mara nodded as she completely broke down. Taluni got out of her chair to comfort K'Mara, embracing her tightly. The girl was finally letting all of her suppressed emotions bubble up to the surface. Deanna failed to hold back the silent tears as her empathic senses took full effect.

"She was gone for over twelve hours, Captain. We didn't know if it was business, pleasure, or simple entertainment. We only knew that she was being tortured." Taluni said as she looked up at Deanna.

4

"Survival, Taluni; it was for their survival."

"Captain?" The Doctor asked with a look of confusion.

"When K'Mara projected herself, my telepathic awareness was projected back to her. In a sense, she also became my host. I saw what she saw, felt what she felt, and perhaps most importantly, heard what she heard."

"That's quite disturbing, Captain. That would suggest both of you were being sexually assaulted for over twelve hours." The Doctor stated delicately as Deanna shuddered at the thought.

"Though I wish I could deny that, it's exactly what happened. The Venomites only live for five years. No matter who they breed with, the offspring is always Venomite and always dies after five years. K'Mara was a test subject. They wanted to see if she could produce a Venomite hybrid with Dajoni DNA."

"To extend their lifespan?" The Doctor asked with a look of shock.

"Or to gain the Dajoni's telepathic abilities. The Venomites are almost completely impervious to all forms of telepathy. If they could both defend against and attack with telepathy, the Venomites would become the greatest threat the Zeta Quadrant has ever known." Taluni added.

"How can such a species be allowed to exist?!" The doctor exclaimed with outrage.

"No one dares attack the Venomite Conquest. Some species simply avoid them, a few are even allied with them, but most of spend our time hiding from them. Even the Borg couldn't defeat them. They have fleets in every sector of the quadrant." Taluni answered, looking down at the floor this time.

"What about the Bazuli? From what I understand, they'd never stand for this kind of injustice." Deanna suggested.

"At their full strength, you'd be right. The Bazuli are a dying species though. There aren't enough of them left to combat the widespread threat of the Venomites now." Taluni replied with a sad smile.

"Why assault K'Mara for two years straight in the name of scientific research? Shouldn't they have all the data they need by now?" The Doctor asked desperately.

"They do, Doctor. When her suffering first began, they did it just for fun. Shortly before her second birthday however, she became pregnant. A child was born one month later, thanks to genetic reprogramming designed to speed up the gestation period. K'Mara stared at the baby. It was a Dajoni girl. K'Mara knew something was wrong when she looked into the baby's eyes though." Taluni paused as she too was overwhelmed with emotion.

"They succeeded?"

"Yes Doctor, but it was short-lived. It's K'Mara's most intense memory. The baby only inherited one quality of the Venomites, but it was the worst. If her child had been allowed to live, it would have become a Dajoni soldier with the sole intent of killing everyone who wasn't Venomite. K'Mara crushed the baby's heart telepathically. From that day forward, they vowed to break her until she gave them what they wanted." Deanna said, her voice trembling now.

"How long is the average Dajoni fertility period?" The Doctor asked softly.

"Average? ten days." Taluni answered sadly.

"But not K'Mara's. More genetic reprogramming I have no doubt. What is K'Mara's fertility period?"

"Indefinite." Deanna answered hollowly.

"Do you mean to tell me you've been pregnant everyday for the last year and a half?!" The Doctor asked as he stared at K'Mara with horror.

"Dozens of times...every day." K'Mara finally spoke up.

"I don't understand." The Doctor said as he leaned forward.

5

"Every time they impregnated me, I wiped out the egg with telepathic antibodies. So they kept sending in more soldiers to break my telepathic defenses."

"Captain, I've been programmed to value all life and protect at all costs, but even my programming can't tolerate something so inhumane! These creatures should be exterminated!"

"It goes against every instinct and principle I've grown up by, but I quite agree with you, Doctor. The reality though is that we don't have the resources to do so and even if we did, the consequences for such an action would be too great." Deanna said with a display of silent anger.

     After eighteen hours of interviews, B'Elanna slumped back in her chair, relieved to be finished with the task. Between the frequent misinterpretations of the universal translator and the awkward encounters with cultural differences, the Klingon had barely managed to keep her volatile emotions in check. If it weren't for Seven of Nine, she probably would have killed have of the candidates. She looked down at the pad on her engineering console as Seven returned from escorting the last candidate back to his quarters.

"Ojara seems to have adequate knowledge of our propulsion systems. I suggest you add her to the recruitment list." seven stated.

"It goes against my better judgement, but she's on the list." B'Elanna replied with a scowl.

"Do you see a flaw in her capabilities as an engineer?"

"No , I think she'd do a good job as an engineer."

"Than why do you feel she should be removed from the duty roster?" Seven asked with a puzzled look.

"Because if she complains one more time about how lonely she is without the company of a man, I'm going to throw her out the nearest airlock!" B'Elanna growled.

"She is the victim of enslavement, Lieutenant. From a psychological standpoint, it could be argued that her marital status is relevant." Seven pointed out.

"Perhaps so, but if she dumps her psychological issues in my lap again, I'll go psycho!" B'Elanna paused to collect herself before adding, "Besides, most people don't look for companionship that quickly after enduring that kind of suffering; not humans, at least."

"I see your point. However, we're not in the Alpha Quadrant and this isn't Earth. I believe if Captain Janeway were here, she would suggest that you keep an open mind while exploring the Zeta Quadrant."

"You're probably right, Seven. It's hard to keep an open mind with all this stress though. Give me a good night's sleep first, then I'll keep an open mind." B'Elanna countered with a smile.

"On that subject, there can be no argument. I too have begun to experience the effects of failing to regenerate. I often find that concentrating on a task for extended periods of time is proving difficult."

"I thought you could go without sleep longer than anyone here?"

"Normally that would be true, but something about this region of space seems to be disrupting my regeneration cycle."

"In other words, you're not getting a full charge?" B'Elanna asked.

"That is correct."

     Captain Troi walked into engineering at that moment. She yawned at the same time B'Elanna did; Seven raised an eyebrow in amusement. B'Elanna sat up as the captain approached them.

"I'll take a look at your recommendations now if you're done." Deanna said casually.

"Captain, how could you know that? We haven't told anyone yet." Seven of Nine asked.

6

"It's tough to keep a secret when you're surrounded by telepaths." B'Elanna answered with a smirk as she handed the pad to the captain.

"This is most discomforting, Captain. Will this become a common occurrence or will we discover a way to combat the Zeta Quadrant's amplification of telepathic abilities?" Seven asked.

"Right now your guess is as good as mine, Seven. Commander T'pol has given me some Vulcan meditation exercises to help suppress my telepathic abilities, but I still get overwhelmed around certain species."

"How long do you think it'll be before we can get someone to replace us?" B'Elanna asked while Deanna started to skim through the list.

"Don't count on any relief for the next few days. K'Mara knows these people better than anyone, so it won't take long to make an official duty roster. The real problem is training all of these species to function within Starfleet guidelines."

"I regret to say that Commander T'pol and Lieutenant Sato will also require this training." Seven pointed out.

"Starfleet officers from two and a half centuries are going to have some catching up to do." B'Elanna said thoughtfully.

"Agreed. They may be the only ones to get any rest." Deanna nodded with a frown.

"Actually, that may not be entirely correct, Captain." Seven said slowly.

"There are three members of this crew who are qualified to train the passengers on Starfleet protocol with little or no sleep. Odo only reverts to his gelatinous state for a few hours a day, I can go several days without regeneration, and the Doctor is a holographic projection; as long as our power reserves stay above four percent, he can stay on-line indefinitely."

"Commander, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but from what I understand, you're in no better shape than I am. The Doctor told me your occular implant was beginning to lose power."

"The Doctor is correct. However, unlike you, I don't have the luxury of regenerating at this time. For unknown reasons, I am not able to complete my regeneration process. It will be at least thirty-six hours before the deterioration of my occular implant becomes life threatening."

"Very well. When K'Mara-."

     Deanna stopped speaking when K'Mara stepped into engineering. She seemed fascinated by all of the machines and controls she touched as she slowly approached the women. The Betazoid could sense her emotions; at the moment it was a mixture of childish wonder and intense hope. When K'Mara finally stood in front of Deanna, she spoke softly.

"Captain, for the first time in my life, I feel safe. I'm not sure if you realize how much that means to me."

"My telepathic abilities may be inferior to your own, K'Mara, but I experience the same spectrum of emotions as you do." Deanna replied with a warm smile.

"My apologies."

"What can I do for you?" Deanna asked.

"Actually, I was wondering what I could do for you. I understand we're quite vulnerable right now and our power will be depleted before we can find an energy source."

"Unfortunately, that is correct." Seven confirmed, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Unless you have training in the field of theoretical spectral energy conversion, we're not going to be able to fix this." B'Elanna sighed.

"On the contrary, Lieutenant, you'll find that  _I_ am a power supply." K'Mara said calmly.

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't let you risk your life just to raise our reserves by a few tenths of a percentage."

7

"After we spoke in the library, the Doctor gave me a full examination. As it turns out, my erratic behavior was the result of absorbing too much energy." K'Mara pointed out.

"Explain." Seven said curiously.

"You fired on us with an omega cannon. Under normal circumstances, that weapon completely destroys it's target down to a subatomic level, including the subspace around it. However, because my species have a high concentration of Omega radiation in our genetic code, I was able to absorb the excess energy from the blast, along with thirty-eight percent of the Venomite ship's power supply."

"That's impossible!" B'Elanna murmured in shock.

"If not for the Venomite's psycho-suppression system, you would be correct. Two years of suppression have left me with dangerously high psilosynine levels and other psychic receptors in my paracortex. When you disabled the ship, the surge of telepathic energy apparently unlocked dormant abilities that should have taken me at least a decade to learn. Now I'm fighting to maintain control of myself; even after a dozen different injections I received from the Doctor I'm still-."

     B'Elanna slowly raised her hand to her forehead in pain.

"Causing headaches when I'm near others." K'Mara finished as B'Elanna closed her eyes.

"Unless the situation gets worse, I'm not going to plug you into our conversion matrix like some kind of portable energy source. It's simply unacceptable." Deanna said adamantly.

"You can prolong it, but you can't avoid it. My control is slipping and your power is draining. Soon you'll have no choice."

"I hope you're wrong, K'Mara." Deanna said softly.

"Lieutenant Torres, that's the best crew you're going to get. I suggest finalizing the roster and begin training immediately." K'Mara said as she left the room.

"She may be a gifted young woman, but K'Mara is clearly still a child." Seven stated with a hint of envy in her voice.

"That's the other issue we need to address, Captain. There are seventy-three children on this ship. Thirty-eight are too young to take care of themselves and have no relatives to care for them." B'Elanna pointed out as her headache began to subside.

"Yes," Deanna paused as a chill ran down her spine, "The Doctor said most of the slaves were probably disrobed upon boarding the Venomite ship based on their odor and bruises. The children suffered no additional violations, but it's quite likely that they were forced to watch the executions of their parents and other relatives. It's the holocaust all over again, but at a galactic level. No species is safe from this."

"What should we do about them? They need homes, Captain." Seven stated firmly.

"We're nowhere near the sectors those children belong in. The only option I can see would be to put them up for adoption. Have the Doctor interview the passengers to identify any couples or people interested in raising children. Tell him to report back to me when he's completed a list of potential parents." Deanna said as she turned to leave engineering.

"Where are you going, Captain?" B'Elanna asked.

"To bed. So are you. You're overworked and stressed out after interviewing all those passengers. You're going to bed and that's an order." Deanna said in a tone that suggested she was ready for resistance.

"You won't get any argument from me, Captain." B'Elanna said with a weak smile as she stood up.

"Inform the Doctor of his new task and begin training the others with Odo." Deanna said as she faced Seven.

"As you wish, Captain." Seven replied with a nod.

8

_Captain's log, Stardate 50323.38: We've begun to implement our new crew roster over the last day, but our power reserves are on the verge of dropping below four percent, at which point the Doctor's program will go off-line. The Doctor has completed his interviews with all of the potential parents and believes we can have all of the children adopted within a week, but in four days, our life support will fail. My crew is recovering from the lack of sleep now, but we're still unable to restore warp drive. I fear this ship may indeed become our tomb if a solution isn't found soon. I still refuse to put k'Mara's life at risk, but I may not have a choice..._

Deanna woke up as the ship suddenly rocked. She quickly grabbed her combadge as she climbed out of bed. She tapped it as she began to get dressed, sensing a great wave of fear that was now spreading throughout the ship.

"Report!"

"Torres here. Captain, it's K'Mara. She came into sickbay for her next dose of injections. She looked fine at first, but when she got to the door, her body released some kind of energy wave that disabled power to the whole deck. Emergency life support is off-line, but the transporters managed to initiate emergency protocol and moved us up to the next deck."

"Troi to K'Mara. What's going on?"

"I'm on my way to your multiphasic energy conversion matrix, Captain. I know you think it's too great of a risk to me, but I can't suppress all this energy anymore! If you don't let me...do this, I'll destroy the whole ship and...everyone on it!" K'Mara said with difficulty.

"You're not doing it alone. I'm on my way."

"Troi to O'Brien, what's the status of the multiphasic energy conversion matrix?"

"K'Mara just entered the room. I can't explain how, but her body is emitting the same conditions in there as our life support systems would."

"Computer, lock onto to Chief O'Brien and myself and beam us directly to K'Mara's location."

     The blue shimmer of a transporter beam enveloped her body within seconds. When she had materialized again, she saw that minimal power was running in the room. The Chief quickly ran up to the main console to monitor the readings before reporting.

"Captain, according to this readout, our energy reserves have risen by three percent in the last thirty seconds!" O'Brien said in surprise.

"Okay K'Mara, we're going to do this together. Project yourself into me so we can form a link. If my telepathic awareness is projected back into you, I could offer you additional control to minimize the damage you cause when you release that energy." Deanna said as she approached the Dajoni.

"I don't think...I can!" K'Mara cried as another burst escaped her body, knocking Deanna back three meters and causing every console to spark.

"That surge increased our power by thirteen percent, but we're getting reports of small fires on every deck now! The matrix can't absorb this much power at once. Another surge like that could destroy the whole ship!" The Chief yelled as he pulled himself back onto his feet after clinging to the console.

"K'Mara! This is the only way to safely release all that energy! Link with me!"

     K'Mara turned and locked eyes with Deanna. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She released all of her defenses and suppression techniques as she focused all of her attention on the telepathic presence of the Captain. A blinding light filled the room as a discharge of blue neural energy leaped from K'Mara to Deanna. Another discharge of green neural energy transferred from Deanna to K'Mara.

     Chief O'Brien glanced down to see the readings drop until they returned to four percent. They slowly began to rise now at one percent per second. The lights began to come on, increasing to gain intensity as power reserves climbed. Life support soon kicked in shortly after, followed by the consoles in the room. Main power finally kicked in thirty seconds later.

9

     After ninety seconds, the aura around K'Mara faded, along with the two streams of neural energy, which were also absorbed by the matrix. Both K'Mara and Deanna fell to the floor unconscious. O'Brien rushed over and checked both of their life signs before tapping his combadge.

"O'Brien to sickbay, medical emergency in the matrix control room!"

     Deanna sat bolt upright, gasping for air. The Doctor stepped out of his office, quickly striding to the foot of her bed with a medical tricorder. He began to take extensive scans as she looked around for K'Mara. The Doctor sensed her concern as he looked up at the captain.

"You took a considerable risk, Captain. You're neural patterns nearly merged with K'Mara's. If that had happened, the effect would have been similar to a Vulcan mind-meld, but it would have been permanent. As for the energy you absorbed; according to the internal sensors, your body held one-tenth of K'Mara's energy. For about two moments, you're body alone could have sustained life support on every deck." The Doctor said calmly.

"What about K'Mara?" Deanna asked after realizing that K'Mara wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"She's fine. Her telepathic abilities have returned to normal now that all of the excess energy has been released. I'm keeping her in the research lab while my staff run some tests on her."

"Is there anything wrong with her?"

"Not at the moment, but her physiology is somewhat concerning in my opinion." The Doctor answered reluctantly.

"In what way?"

"For reasons I can't explain, all evidence seems to suggest that the Dajoni are descendants of the Omega Molecule."

"Do you mean to tell me that the Omega Molecule is sentient?!" Deanna asked in disbelief.

"I wouldn't say that, but I think it's safe to speculate that the Omega Molecule may be all that remains of an extremely powerful species spanning back as far as the creation of our universe, at least." The Doctor replied.

"So what are these molecules in relation to the species then, strands of DNA?"

"I don't think so. Based on the volatile and often disastrous nature of the Omega Molecule, I would guess that they may be the dormant blood cells that remained floating through space when the species went extinct. When the species died out, the blood cells were no longer able to serve their purpose."

"That's an interesting idea, Doctor, but that leaves a lot of questions to be answered."

"Such as?"

"Why were we able to artificially create one and why did it explode upon creation?"

"How we managed to create the Omega Molecule remains a mystery to me as well. As to why it exploded, however, I have a hypothesis. If the Omega Molecule acted as the species' immune system, it would detect us as a foreign invader and defend itself accordingly. If this species wanted to avoid having their genetic material fall into the wrong hands, a self-destructing blood cell would be an effective countermeasure." The Doctor hypothesized.

"Let's say I believe you, for the time being. What evidence do you have that the Dajoni are descendants to this species?"

"Well, aside from the incredibly high levels of Omega radiation I found in all of K'Mara's internal organs, her telepathic abilities are off the chart. I had to run a level three scan of her brain to bypass some type of telepathic shielding just to discover what I did."

"And what did you discover, Doctor?"

"Her neural system is more sophisticated than any other species I've examined. She's been unconscious for the last forty hours. Now examine this scan the internal sensors took before she passed out and compare it to the scan I took three hours ago." The Doctor said as he handed to pads to the Captain.

10

"You're sure of this?" Deanna murmured as she looked at the pads in amazement.

"Both Lieutenant O'Brien and Lieutenant Torres are certain that the internal sensors were functioning properly at the time the scan was taken and I took three different readings of her neural activity to confirm my findings. When she expelled that energy, she was using eighty-two percent of her brain. When I took those readings, seventy-five percent of her brain was still active." The Doctor insisted.

"This is incredible, but I still wouldn't say it's proof of the Omega Molecule representing an extinct species."

"No, perhaps not, but there is one other thing to consider. When we were in the Delta Quadrant, Seven of Nine assisted Captain Janeway in destroying a large quantity of Omega Molecules. The Borg believed that the Omega Molecule represented perfection. Before the molecules were destroyed, they proceeded to form some type of geometric shape that was said to be flawless, as depicted by a species the Borg had previously assimilated. At the time, we dismissed it as a coincidence due to a lack of information. I feel that the Borg's claim deserves further investigation in light of this new discovery, however."

"Doctor, as a Starfleet officer and a captain, I'm encouraged to keep an open mind when exploring the unknown. But as a scientist, you're taught not to draw any conclusions until all of the facts have been gathered. Make sure all of the facts support your claims before putting faith in them." The Captain suggested as she stood up.

"Where do you think you're going? I haven't released you yet." The Doctor reminded her sternly.

"Relax Doctor, I'm not leaving sickbay. I just want to visit my daughter." Deanna smiled.

"Excuse me, Captain?" The Doctor asked with concern.

"The reason why our neural patterns merged, or nearly merged, as you put it, is because our telepathic presences were imprinted on each other. I don't exactly understand how, but that link makes us family. I can transfer my awareness between our minds just as easily as you transfer yourself to a holodeck."

"That's an incredible claim, Captain, but it's more likely to be the result of residual memory ingrams or slightly elevated psilosynine levels in your paracortex." The Doctor argued.

"Remember what I said about keeping an open mind, Doctor. You're allowed to have your doubts, but don't completely dismiss an idea simply because the facts don't support it."

"As you wish, Captain. I will remain skeptical until there is evidence to support your claim, however."

"And I will remain skeptical towards your opinion of the Omega Molecule as well." Deanna countered bluntly.

"I suppose we wouldn't be good scientists if we didn't disagree at some point." The Doctor smiled.

"I think I can agree with that statement." Deanna smirked as she approached the research lab.

     As the doors parted, Deanna noticed K'Mara laying on the center bio-bed in the middle of the room. A female Zenarian was running blood work as K'Mara looked up at her visitors. Deanna was overcome with intense joy as she locked eyes with the young Dajoni. The Doctor glanced at the Captain as he tried to gauge her mental state before turning to face his new assistant.

"Lieutenant Aloris, what have you managed to determine so far?"

"K'Mara's genetic code has altered recently. I've tried to find the cause, but the only apparent abnormality is in her paracortex. There's a new neural pattern that wasn't there three hours ago. There are new genetic markers in her DNA code as well that I can't identify."

     The Doctor looked at the monitor next to K'Mara's bed. After touching a button on the console, he stared at the display. He pressed a few more buttons and examined the data closely before turning to face Deanna again. There was a clear look of unexpected surprise in his eyes. Deanna gave him a weak smile before he faced K'Mara again. She shot him a wink as she smirked.

11

"Computer, confirm that the tests performed by Lieutenant Aloris are accurate."

"The test results performed by Lieutenant Aloris are ninety-nine point nine-three percent accurate."

"Explain the point zero-seven percent inconsistency."

"Point zero-seven percent of the paracortex could not be penetrated by any form of scan."

"Dismiss point zero-seven percent inconsistency in paracortex and reanalyze test results."

"Test results performed by Lieutenant Aloris show no inconsistencies."

"Computer, identify new genetic markers in K'Mara." The Doctor said as he stared at Captain Troi.

"New genetic markers identified. Betazoid and Human genetic markers have been detected in the patient's DNA."

"Identify the source of these genetic markers."

"Source identified as Captain Deanna Riker."

"There's no one with the last name of Riker on this ship." The Doctor said with a confused look.

"The marriage of Commander William Thomas Riker and Commander Deanna Troi was submitted to Starfleet records by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who performed the wedding ceremony."

"Computer, reconfirm source of new genetic markers found in K'Mara."

"Source identified and confirmed as Captain Deanna Riker."

"Computer, run scan of Captain Deanna Riker against previous scans taken on Stardate five-zero-three-two-two point five-one." Deanna said as the Doctor stood in complete silence.

"Inconsistencies detected in Captain Deanna Riker's DNA. Dajoni genetic markers have been detected."

"Identify source of the Dajoni genetic markers that were detected."

"Source identified as K'Mara."

"Computer, how many neural patterns are detected in the paracortex of Captain Deanna Riker?"

"In addition to Captain Deanna Riker's neural pattern, there is a ninety-nine point nine-three percent chance that one additional neural pattern is present."

"Identify point zero seven percent inconsistency."

"Point zero-seven percent of the paracortex could not be penetrated by any form of scan."

"Is this inconsistency detected in anyone else on board?"

"A point one-four percent inconsistency has been detected in Dajoni passenger Julora. In addition to two neural patterns, genetic markers from K'Mara and Captain Deanna Riker have been detected in Dajoni passenger Julora's DNA."

     Deanna turned to face K'Mara now.

"When I was born, there were twenty-two Dajoni on that ship. After I performed the abortion, as the Doctor calls it, Julora was the only Dajoni allowed to live." K'Mara said quietly.

"Would you please excuse us, Lieutenant?" The Doctor asked.

"There aren't any secrets among us, Doctor. The Venomites told us everything they did to the slaves to ensure we continued to fear them." Lieutenant Aloris said.

12

"Very well. K'Mara, Julora is only a year old. If the Dajoni were killed a year and a half ago, how was she born? You never had any children."

"The Venomites have the ability to maintain any system within a dead body. One of the Dajoni was already pregnant when she was captured. I was forced to watch as each Dajoni was executed in a dozen different ways before they locked me in a room with the corpse of the pregnant Dajoni. I was forced to become the mother of Julora when she was delivered by Giltora." K'Mara whispered as tears ran down her face.

"Captain, I'm Giltora." The assistant stated.

"Yes. This is Lieutenant...Giltora Aloris." The Doctor said slowly as he looked up at his assistant.

"When K'Mara was being tortured by the Venomites, I would watch Julora. I even killed a Venomite to protect her once."

"I was under the impression that Zenarians couldn't commit acts of violence after the civil war ended." The Doctor said with a hint of surprise.

"Enslavement changes everyone. The most peaceful Zenarian can become a murderer and the most ruthless Ulitozian can be broken." Giltora answered as she stared down.

"While we're on the subject of children, how have the interviews been gone for potential parents?" Deanna asked.

"All of the children have been adopted now that you're telepathic bond has been proven true. However, there are a few guardians I would recommend keeping an eye on." The Doctor said with a note of concern.

"Who?" Deanna asked as the Doctor handed her a pad.

"The first one is Lieutenant Sonell. She's the only Ulitozian on board. She adopted two Zenarians twelve hours ago."

"The most ruthless Ulitozian can be broken?" Deanna asked as she glanced at Giltora.

"Yes. The Ulitozians are enemies of the Venomites. She was captured somewhere in the Wyntolite sector, where she was given to the Venomites seven months ago. They successfully forced her into a mental breakdown last month. It only lasted for a few days, but it gave our captors great pleasure. Normally I'd refuse a Ulitozian's adoption request, but under the circumstances, I felt she deserved the chance to show her parenting skills."

"What circumstances?"

"Sonell was the only slave who suffered more than I did. She was killed and resuscitated after every violation."

     The room seemed to experience a drop in temperature as a visible chill struck everyone present.

"Next on the list are Lieutenant Talorn Takuln and Ensign Thaloz T'Korez. Both men are Mutorians."

"Are they romantically involved with each other." Deanna asked out of curiosity.

"No, but they each adopted three Zenarians. The concern is that all of the unclaimed Zenarian children are female and the Mutorians are known child-traffickers for the Wyntolites and the Venomites." Giltora reported uncomfortably.

     Deanna stood stiffly as she locked a stern gaze on Giltora's eyes before demanding, "Lieutenant Aloris, why would you allow your own people to be raised by known criminals who exploit you?"

"Believe us, Captain, we tried to avoid this situation. Lieutenant Dax adopted one of the Zenarians and Lieutenant Aloris adopted three Zenarians. However, The Mutorians were the last candidates we interviewed and there were still six unclaimed children. Lieutenant Aloris conducted the interviews personally, but we couldn't find any grounds for refusing their requests." The Doctor said in Giltora's defense.

"Fine. I'll let Odo take care of them. Who else should I be worried about?"

"The last ones Lieutenant Aloris showed concern for were Ensigns Alathia and Antika Garitul, a female Clibodian couple." The doctor said uncomfortably.

13

"We can't govern the sexual orientation of another species to fit the comfort of our own standards, Doctor."

"I also explained that to Lieutenant Aloris, but she insisted we address it."

"Do the Zenarians not practice same-sex relationships, Lieutenant?" Deanna asked Giltora.

"Not since the civil war ended. The more concerning thing is that Alathia and Antika are sisters." Giltora stated.

" _That_ is concerning." Deanna said as she began to pace around K'Mara's bed.

"I thought you just said we can't govern a species' sexual orientation?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes, but we can't confuse the children by creating the wrong idea either. Exposing them to a relationship of that nature could be confusing and dangerous to their traditions and beliefs." Deanna murmured before saying, "Lieutenant Aloris, have the Clibodians report to my ready room in five hours."

"Yes, Captain."

"Good, now that we've got that out of the way, what's the status of the  _Convergence_?"

"I thought you'd never ask." The Doctor said sarcastically.

"I might be spending a lot of time thinking about children, but I'm still the Captain." Deanna smirked.

"Of course, Captain. Our energy reserves are now at fifty-two percent. We have main power restored to all of our primary systems. We're traveling at warp nine-point six-eight-two, shields are at ninety-three percent, weapons are at eighty-nine percent, and there have been no reports of internal or external disturbances since we encountered the Venomites."

"Who told you all that?" Deanna asked with a smile.

"No one. Apparently all status report logs made by the crew are filed directly to the library archives and then downloaded into the ECH program."

"I hope the library archives doesn't save everything that gets logged, otherwise you'll be the only one I ever talk to."

"Considering how many things the crew of  _Voyager_ kept from me, it would be a pleasant change." The Doctor grinned.

"Do you see any reason not to declare me fit for reason beyond the risk of me avoiding sickbay?" Deanna asked with a smile.

"No. I declare you fit for duty, Captain."

     The doors to the Captain's ready room slid open as two Clibodian women entered. Both women wore gold uniforms with engineering logos. Deanna was forced to look up from her monitor as she was overcome by an intense sensation of intimacy. The women were both smirking towards each other as she cleared her throat.

"Ladies, I believe introductions are in order. I'm Captian Deanna Troi. Along with my senior officers of the ship, I represent the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet Command." Deanna began, relieved that she got their attention.

"Never heard those names before. Are they some kind of empire?" The one on the left asked as Deanna realized they were identical twins.

"They represent my home world, the home worlds of my senior officers, and many other worlds as well. I'm from the Alpha Quadrant."

"Did you call us here for introductions? We're a little bit busy and I'm sure you could be spending your time more...productively as well." The Clibodian on the right snickered.

"The introduction was what my people call 'breaking the ice'. It's a way of reducing tension between individuals when meeting." Deanna replied as she frowned at the Clibodian's remark.

"What kind of tension are you trying to reduce, Captain?" The same Clibodian asked.

"Well, Antika, to be honest, I've brought you in here to discuss Starfleet and Federation policy concerning intimate relations." Deanna said as the Clibodian's jaw dropped.

14

"You must be telepathic." The other Clibodian sneered as she shot her a dirty look.

"Yes, I am, Alathia. However, I'm half-Betazoid."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Antika asked rudely.

"It means my species has a familiarity and intimate desire to pursue their sexuality which far exceeds your own." Deanna said as she directed a wave of emotions towards them.

     The Clibodian sisters fell to their knees with shock as they were overcome by intense euphoria. The feeling faded as suddenly as it had struck. They slowly rose to their feet breathing heavily for a moment. Alathia was the first one to look up at Deanna. She struggled to compose herself, but spoke with a serious expression.

"You...have our attention, Captain. What would you like to...discuss?"

"You've recently adopted four Zenarian children. According to my beliefs, I can't control how you express yourself. However," Deanna paused as Antika slowly glanced up now, "However, for the sake of your adopted children, I strongly urge you to avoid expressing yourself in a manner that would dismiss or discourage the children from pursuing the beliefs of their own people."

"Are you concerned that our relationship will poison the minds of our Zenarian children?" Antika asked with a hint of anger.

"I don't know you well enough to make that kind of judgement. Giltora does, however. She was quite adamant that I speak on behalf of your children."

"Giltora is like a mother to many of the slaves you rescued. We show her that respect as well. I disagree with Giltora's opinion of us, however. If we failed to show discretion on the Venomite ship, it's because we were never granted the privacy we were entitled to." Alathia countered.

"I'm inclined to agree with Giltora based on our introduction. In addition to my Betazoid heritage and telepathic abilities, I've served for many years as a counselor. I don't just sense the emotions of others, I interpret them as well."

"Now we're in trouble." Antika sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"No, not yet. If you respect the customs and beliefs of everyone around you we shouldn't have any problems." Deanna said sincerely.

"If I might ask, what did you interpret, Captain?" Alathia asked.

"You're the older sister, aren't you?" Deanna asked with a smile.

"Is it that obvious? No one would have thought two minutes and seventeen seconds could create a gap this large in maturity levels, but you are correct." Alathia chuckled as Antika shot her a dirty look.

"Passion. Raw, untamed, pure passion. Carefree, reckless, and blind to everything. It's an incredible sensation to experience, but it's easy to get lost in. Don't let it interfere with your duties as members of my crew or as parents. This is friendly advice. If I have to address this issue again, you'll be disciplined. As a telepathic counselor I can assure you that it won't be enjoyable." Deanna warned with a stern expression.

"We understand." Alathia bowed.

"You understand as well, Antika?" Deanna asked calmly.

"Yes Captain." Antika replied.

"Good. Ensigns, you're dismissed."

     As soon as the Clibodians left, Deanna finely gave in to her suppressed emotions, becoming overwhelmed by her own erotic aura. She sat back and closed her eyes as wave upon wave of pleasure coursed through her body. The feeling finally subsided after fifteen minutes. She slowly sat up in her seat. Her uniform was drenched in sweat as she struggled to regain control of her telepathic senses.

15

     Deanna quickly jumped into the sonic shower before changing into a new uniform. Afterwards she returned to her Ready Room and sat on the couch. She stared out the window as the stars flashed out of sight. She then let out a sigh and tapped her combadge.

"Troi to T'pol."

"T'pol here. How may I assist you?"

"Please report to my Ready Room." Deanna said after a brief silence.

"On my way, Captain."

     A few seconds later, T'pol entered. She stood in front of the captain, silently waiting for her to speak. Instead, Deanna gestured her to take a seat. T'pol sat in one of the chairs near the couch. She continued to stare at the captain in complete silence for nearly three minutes.

"Commander, I just became a victim of my own emotions. It took fifteen minutes to regain control of myself. I can't perform my duties in that kind of condition and the exercises you've given me aren't working."

"Have you spoken to the Doctor about this?"

"He can't give me anything because we still don't know what's causing my telepathic senses to be amplified."

"The neural pathways that inhibit my telepathic abilities are dormant, Captain. I can offer no help beyond the exercises I have offered."

"Are there any other exercises you could teach me, Commander?"

"The exercises I haven't taught you would be considered extreme from many species' point of view. They focus on isolating your emotions and ultimately desensitizing yourself to emotional stimuli." T'pol explained hesitantly.

"In other words, I'd become Vulcan."

"That is correct, Captain. I have no personal experience with Betazoids, but my people have studied your species for many years, in my timeline at least. We know that you're race is peaceful, passionate, artistic, and possess mental discipline that exceeds our own when addressing emotional control. The Betazoid people are especially proud of their sexuality in that it provides a level of intimacy and understanding with one another that may be difficult to achieve otherwise. That being said, I wouldn't recommend learning these exercises unless you're prepared to sever your cultural ties with your people." T'pol spoke with a trace of emotion now.

"If you were in my position, would you do it, Commander?" Deanna asked as she looked over at T'pol.

"Prior to my experience on the  _Enterprise_ , I would say that I lacked the qualifications to answer that question. Since entering this region of space, however; I've become bombarded by my emotions on a regular basis. That being said, from an emotional standpoint, I don't believe I would be prepared to trade my heritage away for the luxury of comfort."

"What would Vulcan logic suggest, then?"

"Logic would suggest that you remain Betazoid. It would be illogical for a member of one species to convert as a member of another."

"Why?" Deanna asked bluntly, surprising T'pol with the question.

"As a counselor, I would expect you to understand that better than anyone here, Captain. To convert as a member of another species, you're erasing your identity at the most fundamental level. If an Andorian were to convert as a Klingon, that Andorian would become an outcast to both species by rejecting their own heritage and attempting to embrace a heritage that never was and never will be theirs."

"Thank you, T'pol. I suppose that was the one truth that I needed to be reminded of." Deanna said as she felt herself begin to relax.

16

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Captain?"

"Not at the moment. You're dismissed, Commander."

     Deanna's combadge chimed as T'pol stood up.

"Go ahead."

"Captain, we're approaching the nebula." Seven of Nine stated.

"I'm on my way."

     Deanna quickly stepped onto the bridge with T'pol. As she glanced at the viewscreen, she began to grow curious. She continued to study the nebula as she walked to her seat. When she sat down, she looked over at Seven of Nine, who was stationed at the second science station.

"Commander Hansen, are you detecting any unusual or unexplained readings from the Omega nebula?"

"Captain, the fact that the nebula is composed of stable Omega molecules is both unusual and unexplained in itself. Could you be more specific?"

"Are there any signs of life within the nebula?"

"Negative. Aside from the Omega molecules, there is no other substance detected within the nebula." Seven of Nine replied.

"I'm guessing it wouldn't be safe to attempt entering the nebula."

"You would be correct, Captain. Although these shields are capable of blocking the high emissions of Omega radiation at this distance, it is doubtful that the shields would protect us once we entered the nebula."

"How do we proceed with collecting the molecules then?"

"We're not entirely sure yet, Captain, but we think the molecule fragment within the matrix may be emitting some type of signature towards the nebula. There's no hard evidence to support the idea, but between the perfect geometric nebula we're witnessing and the fact that the multiphasic energy conversion matrix  _is_ absorbing Omega energy as we speak, I think it's safe to speculate that the Omega molecule is displaying signs of intelligence." Chief O'Brien stated from his tactical station.

"What's our status?" Deanna asked the Chief.

"Due to the volatile nature of the Omega molecule, our reserves have only increased by point zero five percent so far. At a rate of point zero-five percent per minute, we should have our energy reserves completely restored within eight hours."

"It's a long time to be vulnerable here." Deanna said uncomfortably.

"Agreed Captain, but without this nebula, we won't make to any of the nearby colonies." Seven of Nine pointed out bluntly.

"Very well. Commander Hansen, you have the bridge. I think it's about time I get to know my crew while we're here."

     Deanna stepped into the turbolift.

"Multiphasic energy conversion matrix room."

     Deanna frowned as the turbolift began to descend. She was beginning to think her destination need a shorter name. It took so long to say it and it didn't seem to catch on like the other stations did. She fumbled with the idea in her head, but none of the names she thought of sounded right.

     She stepped out of the turbolift when it came to a stop. The previously unmanned stations were now running at full capacity as her new crew filled the room with life. Even the warp core on the  _Enterprise_ _-E_ never required this kind of attention. A few of the engineers were making repairs to the systems that K'Mara had damaged earlier, but most of them were making sure the matrix remained stable.

17

"Captain...Troi, what...may I do...for you?" one of the Moltakeran engineers asked.

     The creature had a somewhat flat red head and bright beady blue eyes. Its species had no hair and there was a sophisticated breathing apparatus where the nose and mouth would have been normally. Its hands had three long fingers and a stub for a thumb. The portions of skin that weren't covered by his engineering uniform seemed to glow bright orange on occasion.

"Lieutenant...?" Deanna asked, as she had not memorized the crew roster yet.

" I am...Lieutenant Ora, junior multiphasics...engineer."

"Ensign Ora, who's in charge here?"

"You are, Captain." Ensign Ora replied with a puzzled look.

"No, I'm looking for the senior engineer." Deanna said with a smile.

"Commander Timara." Ora said as it pointed towards the diagnostics monitor on the primary matrix chamber.

"Thank you, Ensign. Carry on."

     The Clibodian woman was quickly moving from one console to another, glancing back at the display periodically. Deanna approached her slowly as she sensed a great deal of stress from her. After a few minutes of constant adjustments, the Clibodian finally turned to face the Captain. She let out a gasp.

"It's alright, Commander. You're not in trouble." Deanna said with a warm smile.

"Thank Cliboza!" The Commander sighed.

"Commander Dadoria Timara, correct?"

"Yes, Captain. What can I do for you?"

"Status report. What is the efficiency of the matrix currently?"

"Currently, the multiphasic energy conversion matrix is running at ninety-two point three-seven percent. Once all repairs have been completed, it should be running at ninety-five percent efficiency." Commander Timara reported.

"Why not one hundred percent?" Deanna asked.

"The Omega fragment is a delicate energy source, Captain. If the matrix released too much Omega energy at one time, it would cripple the ship in all likelihood."

"So there's a chance that we would be fine?"

"No Captain. If the ship wasn't crippled, it would be destroyed."

"How can you be certain, Commander?" Deanna asked as she studied the Clibodian woman.

"Because I helped design this technology, Captain." Commander Timara answered.

"I'm a telepath, Dadoria. If I wanted to, I could sense your thoughts at any time, so I suggest you be honest when answering the next few questions." Deanna cautioned.

"I've been honest so far, Captain. I have no intention of lying to you."

"Good." Deanna paused before asking, "Commander, how many vessels have this technology?"

"There are many ships that use Omega energy, but this is the only one with the ability to convert one type of energy into another."

"This matrix is a prototype?"

"Yes, Captain."

18

"Who else worked on this matrix?"

"This matrix was made possible by the combined efforts of the Votarin, Clibodians, Apoxisha, and Fichuma. It took twenty-three years to successfully complete."

"How can you be certain this is the only ship that has a multiphasic energy conversion matrix?"

"That's complicated." Commander Timara answered awkwardly.

"Why?"

"The reason for our success wasn't as much scientific as it was...religious."

"Religious? In what way?"

"Many species in this region of space believe that their existence is the work of a higher power. They also believe that the Omega molecule, as you call it, is all that remains of this power that created us."

"Do you?"

"As a scientist, I'm expected to pursue a scientific explanation regarding creation. However," The Commander paused as she glanced back at the display, "As a Clibodian, it is my belief that my god is a being who is all knowing, all powerful, and forever watching us. If the Omega molecule is a piece of my god, it would explain how such a being could continue to watch over me after death."

"What do the other species call the Omega molecule?"

"Life." Commander Timara replied as she turned back to one of her consoles.

"Thank you, Commander. Carry on." Deanna said after a brief moment of shock.

     Deanna went back to sickbay as Commander Timara's answer continued to echo in her head. She contemplated the possibility of such a destructive force being the remnants of a superior species that existed before the creation of time. Unfortunately, she was still left with more questions than she had answers to.

     Upon entering sickbay, she noticed that the Doctor was quite excited. He was running scans of some type, but it didn't appear to be directed towards anyone on board. He finally looked up when Deanna tapped him on the shoulder.

"Captain, I've just made an incredible discovery!" The Doctor said, struggling to contain his excitement.

"What are you scanning, Doctor?"

"The flow of Omega energy that we're receiving from the nebula. You're never going to guess what I've detected!"

"I can't sense your thoughts and my medical training is far less extensive than yours, so I would imagine I'm not." Deanna frowned.

"Memory ingrams, Captain! The Omega molecules contain traces of memory ingrams!"

"What?!" Deanna exclaimed.

     Deanna reached out with her telepathic senses, but she detected no memories or thoughts of any kind. She pushed her senses to their limit, searching for even a spark of intelligence. As she began to give up, she finally found the spark. It was a faded blur; too distorted to even guess what it was, but she knew it was a sign of life.

     When Deanna finally became aware of her senses again, she realized that she was surrounded by medical staff. Ezri, Odo, T'pol, and K'Mara were also there as well. She slowly sat up as she experienced a sudden wave of disorientation. The Doctor slowly helped her lay back on the bio-bed.

"Captain, what ever you just did gave us a real scare. You've been in a coma for two and a half months." The Doctor said with genuine concern.

"How long?" Deanna asked sleepily.

19

"Two months, fifteen days, and seventeen hours. You didn't respond to any of my treatments when I tried to wake you."

"No, that's impossible. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes." Deanna insisted as her senses began to come back to her.

"I assure you, it's been two and a half months." The Doctor stated firmly.

"What's our status?"

"We should reach the Votarin home world in about twenty-seven days. Our energy reserves are at ninety-two percent, and all systems are fully operational. We're currently traveling at warp nine-point nine-nine-nine." The Doctor answered.

"Good."

"Now if you don't mind, Captain, I'd like to know what you were thinking before you went into that coma." The Doctor demanded.

"She was touched by our god." K'Mara answered with a whisper.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant?" T'pol asked.

"Captain Troi found our god." K'mara replied.

"Before the Captain went into that coma, I mentioned that memory ingrams were detected within the stream of Omega energy that we were absorbing."

"She must have been trying to retrieve the memories before her coma." T'pol suggested.

"If that's true, you took a very dangerous risk to yourself and your daughters." The Doctor scowled as he injected her with a hypospray.

"What?! What are you talking about?" Deanna asked worriedly.

"K'Mara was in a coma for a day and Julora's coma lasted for three weeks. During all three comas, the portion of the paracortex that couldn't be scanned became flooded with Omega energy. I suspect that the Dajoni were able to recover more quickly because of their partial Omega anatomy, but there were serious doubts as to whether you'd recover or not. It has also been determined that your telepathic link with K'Mara and Julora is how they received the Omega energy."

"I'm so sorry, K'Mara. The Doctor had suspected the Omega molecules were evidence of a higher life form. When he said there were memory ingrams in the Omega energy, I had to see for myself."

"We all became worried about Julora after the first week, but I was aware of my situation. I caught a glimpse of what you saw." K'Mara said with a weak smile.

"What did you see?" Deanna asked eagerly.

"Beings of pure energy. They were everything and everywhere but existed in nothingness. They cast shadows but produced the only source of light. They spoke to each other with words but no sound could be heard. Their very presence was a paradox in a dimension that didn't exist yet."

     A flash of light filled the room. As everyone looked behind Deanna, the room experienced a noticeable silence and loathing. Deanna closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"I was expecting to see you sooner, Q." Deanna said with a tone of annoyance.

"Well that's no way to address your creator. You were talking about my people, weren't you?" The arrogant creature said with a grin.

"I certainly hope not." Odo growled.

"But the Q Continuum fits the young lady's description perfectly."

"It's because of your people that my home was wiped out, along with every planet my people lived on! To make things worse, you threw our quadrant into eternal war!" K'Mara snarled.

"Oh, that's apples and oranges. We were just having a friendly wager with your gods." Q shrugged casually.

     K'Mara lunged at Q with shocking speed and accuracy. She drove her fist into the powerful being's chest. Q flew back into the nearest wall. As Odo quickly restrained K'Mara, Q rose to his feet shakily. Everyone stared at him. Q looked down to realize that there was a hole where K'Mara's fist had hit him and he was beginning to bleed.

"I suppose even gods have weaknesses." Q sighed before falling to the floor unconscious.


	4. A War Among Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the RSS CONVERGENCE approaches the Votarin home world and the crew adjusts to life aboard a star ship with their crew mates, Q decides to visit. Upon his arrival, he was attacked and injured by K'Mara. When he regains consciousness, he admits that the Q Continuum's arrogant nature may have had unseen consequences in the Zeta Quadrant. Deanna, Hoshi, Odo, and Ezri begin interviewing the crew again to confirm Q's story.

Chapter 4: A War Among Gods

Stardate 50344.99

-

_Captain's Log supplemental: For the first time in my life, I've witnessed a being who has enough power to injure a member of the Q Continuum. I don't know what to make out of this, but I've learned from experience that encounters with the Q always bring chaos. The Q have always been a race of arrogant, egotistical beings that claim credit for nearly everything, but I fear they may have finally met their match. If so, a conflict of that magnitude could endanger the lives of everyone, along with the universe itself. Such a conflict must be avoided, no matter the cost._

Q gasped as his eyes opened. He sat up, looking around to see who else had been observing him. He rolled his eyes with disappointment when he saw Odo and the Doctor staring back at him.

"Did you enjoy your nap?" Odo asked.

"Yes. I'm quite well rested now. Don't suppose I could have that rematch, could I?" Q asked with a devilish grin.

"Actually, we'd prefer you just leave and not come back." Odo scowled in response to Q's sarcasm.

"Odo, don't you want to know why she attacked me?"

"I should think that was obvious, Q. Your arrogance has finally exploded in your face and now your suffering the consequences." The Doctor replied with a flat tone.

"Come now, Doctor. Since when did a little harmless fun hurt anyone?"

"That girl was violated a dozen times a day for seven hundred and thirty days straight! That's when it hurt someone!" The Doctor yelled, clearly outraged.

"Odo," Q began as he turned to face the Changeling, "Computers can be programmed to lie, but I know your people to be honorable. Is the hologram telling the truth? Did the Dajoni suffer that fate?"

"You don't already know? I thought your Q Continuum saw everything?" Odo replied sarcastically.

"Odo, I respect your position and skepticism; respect isn't something I show often by the way, but you're beginning to test my patience. Is it true?"

"If I continued to test your patience, what would happen?" Odo taunted.

"I could wipe all of your memories and turn you back into a puddle of goo. It might be fun to see how long it takes you to remember this form." Q answered cheerfully, but the usual grin was absent.

"Odo, it might be prudent to answer his question now." The Doctor warned.

"No, Doctor, I think I'm quite safe. I imagine he would have punished me by now if he could. In fact, I think just being here is a risk for Q." Odo scowled as he studied the being's face.

"I could punish you, Odo, but I'd risk drawing attention to myself. Now  _please_ , answer the question." Q asked, coming uncharacteristically close to begging.

"It's true. In all my years as an investigator, I've never heard of a case so disturbing as hers. If her claims are true, your people have a lot to answer to, Q."

"I think it's time I spoke with Captain Riker; it is Riker now, correct? Clearly an explanation is owed." Q said as a look of regret filled his eyes.

"Clearly." Odo agreed, remaining suspicious.

     Q looked around as he stood in the Ready Room. His opinion of the room wasn't high, but after exploring every dimension of reality, he had certainly seen worse. He had begun to consider making the room look like the forest of Teravex Three when the Captain walked in from the bridge. She didn't look happy to see him, but that wasn't surprising after all the trouble he had caused on the  _Enterprise-D_.

"I don't have time to play games with you, Q, so let's say we get right down to business?" Deanna said coldly.

"You used to have fun playing my games though. What's changed with you, Captain?"

2

"Last time I wasn't addressed as 'Captain' and I didn't have two daughters."

"Riker's children? I hope they don't end up like him. I never could stand his boring, defiant attitude towards me."

"No, I  _inherited_  them upon arriving in the Zeta Quadrant. Now start explaining yourself before you test  _my_ patience." Deanna warned.

"I think you'll make an excellent mother, Captain. The Zeta Quadrant is what I'm here to discuss, of course. The first thing you need to understand is that the universe was once very different from how you see it today. At one point, there was no 'Gamma Quadrant' or 'Delta Quadrant'."

"And when might that have been?"

"About six billion years ago. In actuality, the Alpha Quadrant and Beta Quadrant only represent half of the universe."

"What about the Gamma Quadrant-?"

"That would be the other half of the Alpha Quadrant."

"My god! You're telling me then that the Delta Quadrant is actually half of the Beta Quadrant?" Deanna asked as her head was reeling from the ramifications of what Q was saying.

"Exactly. Six billion years ago, you had the Alpha Quadrant, the Beta Quadrant, the Zeta Quadrant, and most importantly...the Omega Quadrant."

"Omega." Deanna repeated softly.

"Yes Captain, I'm referring to the Omega molecule. The Omega molecule isn't simply the genetic remains of an extinct species; it's all that remains of a quadrant that was wiped out of existence by my predecessors from the Q continuum." Q said uncomfortably.

"Q, are you telling me that the Continuum is guilty of genocide?"

"Not the continuum that you know today, but ages ago, yes."

"What became of them?"

"It's an event in our history that we've buried as deep as we can, but for a species that's omniscient, nothing is ever forgotten. I have no doubt that Captain Janeway reported the civil war she witnessed in the Q Continuum while she was in the Delta Quadrant. I doubt anyone in the Federation knows that the Continuum had a deadlier civil war five point nine billion years earlier."

"Are you telling me that it took a hundred million years to decide how to discipline the offenders?" Deanna asked with surprise.

"You have to understand Captain that in those days, the idea of execution was considered barbaric and detrimental to the integrity of the Q Continuum. After one hundred  _million_ years of debate, we determined that the offenders would be stripped of their powers, exiled from the Q Continuum, and left to survive on M-class planets in uninhabited systems in the Zeta Quadrant."

"I was beginning to wonder how the Zeta Quadrant was connected." Deanna said suspiciously.

"When the Omega Quadrant was destroyed, a handful of survivors relocated to the Zeta Quadrant. At that time, only five dozen species in the whole universe were capable of traveling beyond their star systems. Of the five dozen, only three could travel to other planets without warp drive; the Q Continuum, the Iconians, and the Omega Species."

"Wait, the Iconians are as old as the Q Continuum?!" Deanna exclaimed in surprise.

"Not nearly, but as much as it pains me to say it, they may have become greater than the Continuum if not for the destruction of the Omega Quadrant. staying on topic, however. We identified twenty-four members of the Q Continuum who were responsible for destroying the Omega Quadrant. Only seven accepted punishment for their crimes. The other seventeen fled to the Zeta Quadrant."

3

"You said the surviving members of the Omega Species also relocated there, right?"

"Yes and that's where the trouble began. When the Omega Species identified the rogue Q as their attackers, a devastating war broke out. At the same time, the Q were attempting to return the fugitives to the Continuum to face punishment. However, the Q sent in got caught in the war and though it was unintentional, the Omega Species had declared war on the Q continuum at that point."

"Which caused the volatile quadrant I'm looking at now." Deanna stated, rather than asked.

"Indirectly. Whenever a member of the Omega Species was killed, their essence would reincarnate as a new species, retaining a specific aspect of their existence. Nearly every species in this quadrant is a descendant of the Omega Species."

"So what led to the shift of power in the Zeta Quadrant?"

"When the new species rose from the ashes of the Omega Species, some were more aggressive than others. Some of these species still held the memory of our war and attempted to carry out the Omega Species' will to see justice brought to the Q Continuum. Eventually, the threat to the Q Continuum was reaching a point where we'd lose the ability to contain the damage created by our war, so we threw a 'Hail Mary', as old Earth football players call it. Along with all Q in the Zeta Quadrant, all remaining members of the Omega Species were wiped out of existence. In addition, the fundamental genetic code found within the species of the Zeta Quadrant was erased, negating their threat to the Q Continuum."

"A suicide mission? That doesn't sound like the Q Continuum." Deanna said doubtfully.

"It was a very different Q Continuum back then, Captain."

"Of course! The Omega molecule. It's the one thing you couldn't destroy, so the legacy of the Omega Species still lives on."

"Are you sensing my thoughts, Captain? That's rather rude, you know." Q said, appearing to be offended.

"I felt it was necessary, under the circumstances." Deanna replied calmly.

"I'm impressed. I see now that I'm far more vulnerable than I realized." Q said with a smirk.

"I doubt you'd ever call me a god, but if you did, you'd be wrong. This power is both intoxicating and frightening. I still don't know how to control it yet."

"And that, Captain, is the thin line that separates a god from a tyrant. Any Q who is unwilling to take responsibility for the knowledge and power their given is rejected from the Continuum to live a mortal life. Gods should be no different."

"What are you saying, Q?"

"Only that anyone who begins to unlock omnipotence had best be prepared for the overwhelming responsibilities that come with it; otherwise, it will destroy them." Q answered as his face seemed to show his true age at that moment.

     The room fell silent now as Deanna finally sat down in one of the chairs near the couch. Q also sat down, taking the chair on the opposite side. They both stared out at the stars, contemplating the past and preparing for the implications it had on the future.

"Captain, I'm old. You look at me and see the same devious being you've come to know over the last half century. That reminds me, you've aged quite beautifully if I may so." Q said with a smile.

"Thank you. Now what's your point?" Deanna asked with a smirk.

"I have no doubt I'll go back to my old trouble-making ways soon enough, but there's a reason why we don't keep an eye on the Zeta Quadrant. This place is a constant reminder of all the Q Continuum's shame. When I come here, I'm reminded of how true Picard's words were when he said Humanity would someday surpass the Q Continuum's greatness. No one in the Q Continuum will ever admit it, but in some ways, you already have.

4

After six and a half billion years, were still just as arrogant and egotistical as ever. We ignore our mistakes by looking at our accomplishments. We hide our ignorance by bragging about our superior intellect. In three thousand years though, Humanity has eliminated all but the most instinctual aspects of arrogance, ego, jealousy, hatred, rage, greed, and preconceptions."

"Then why have you come back?"

"I thought it would be obvious. We want to begin peace talks with the Zeta Quadrant. You must have realized by now that you're in a dimension outside of the universe. Your ship doesn't have the technology to return to your dimension and the species of the Zeta Quadrant don't have the knowledge to send you back. Not individually, at least."

"Can't you send us back?" Deanna asked with a puzzled look.

"Before the war occurred, I could have sent you back. However, there's a reason why there are so many Omega molecules here. One of the Omega molecule's unique properties is the ability to reduce the power of a Q. That being said, my power is only effective on objects that don't contain any Omega residue and only has a range of...well, your Ready Room, roughly, unless using them on myself."

"Q, what is the source of your power?"

"I'd prefer to save that for a later conversation, Captain. I believe I've told you everything you need to know." Q answered before snapping his fingers.

     Now that Q had left, Deanna slowly stood up. She returned to her desk and began to search the database for any record to support Q's claims, but there were too many missing files in the library archives to make any progress. She tapped her combadge instead.

"Troi to Odo, please report to my Ready Room."

"I'm on my way, Captain." Odo's gruff voice replied.

     After waiting five minutes, Odo arrived with Ezri and Hoshi as well. Deanna looked up at them with amusement. Odo's expression remained neutral, as usual. Ezri returned Deanna's look of amusement. Hoshi seemed to be confused, however.

"I'm guessing Q never visited Captain Archer?" Deanna asked.

"No, Captain." Hoshi replied.

"Well, you three do seem to be best suited to the task I have in mind." Deanna said thoughtfully.

"What might that task be, Captain?" Odo asked.

"Investigating the legitimacy of Q's claim. He told me that his people are responsible for the current situation in this quadrant. If that's true, the crew should be able to identify the Q Continuum in some way."

"It would also confirm the accusation K'Mara has made against him." Odo pointed out.

"Yes. That being said; along with myself, you three will begin interviewing the crew for evidence to support Q's claim."

"Couldn't this just be a wild goose chase to entertain Q?" Ezri asked.

"It does seem like something he'd do, but I get the impression that he was being sincere for once."

"Is there any particular approach you want to take on this investigation, Captain?" Odo asked.

"I'll interview K'Mara. Odo, I want you to interview the Lunarians."

"That's a long list, Captain. It'll take quite some time."

"I think they'll provide the most insight. I wouldn't ask you to do this if you weren't up to the task."

5

"As you wish, Captain. I'll begin right away."

"Ezri, I want you to interview the Fichuma. With nine lifetimes worth of memories, I think you'll be able to handle communicating with them telepathically."

"I can't say I'm comfortable with the idea, but there aren't too many things my past hosts haven't tried." Ezri frowned as she stood up and left the room.

"Lastly, I'd like you to interview the Odari, Hoshi."

"You're focusing on all of the telepathic species in our crew?" Hoshi asked.

"Yes. When the Doctor shared the results of the examinations he took of the crew, I noticed that those four species had the highest signature of Omega energy. Based on Q's claim, it seems likely that those species are familiar with the Q Continuum."

"In that case, I'll look into the Odari for you, Captain." Hoshi said before leaving the room.

"Troi to Taluni." Deanna said after tapping her combadge.

"Yes Captain?" Taluni asked nervously.

"I'd like you to bring K'Mara to my Ready Room. We need to talk."

"We're on our way, Captain."

     The doors to the Ready Room slid open as Commander T'pol stepped in.

"What can I do for you, Commander?"

"She insisted that this was a 'family conversation'." T'pol said calmly as the young Dajoni stepped in behind her.

"Thank you. You're dismissed, Commander."

"Very well."

     The Dajoni sat down on the couch as Deanna got up from her desk, moving over to one of the chairs next to her. She studied the girl for a moment before she realized the girl was studying her as well. Deanna smiled warmly when she began to sense the girl's telepathic presence exploring her thoughts.

"It would seem I can't block my thoughts from you, Julora. You're a gifted child."

"All Dajoni are gifted, Captain. However, that's not why I can see your thoughts. All members of a Dajoni family are telepathically linked at birth so they can find each other when they're in danger."

"So members of a Dajoni family can't lie to each other because of the telepathic link?" Deanna asked the child.

"Dajoni do lie, but they prefer not to lie to each other. We place a great deal of trust in each other when we link. If that trust is broken, our link becomes our enemy."

"Do you know why I need to talk to K'Mara then?"

"Yes. She attacked the one responsible for our suffering." Julora said angrily.

"No, Julora. She attacked a member of their family."

"That's no different! Their species deserves to be punished!" Julora shouted; Deanna sensed that her telepathic was stronger now.

"I see." Deanna murmured as she stood up from her chair before asking, "So, if K'Mara killed Giltora and ran away, should I punish you? You're the only other Dajoni on board and your people need to pay for what she did, right?"

     Julora's anger and frustration seemed to evaporate as she was overcome by fear. The idea of being punished for something she didn't do seemed to scare her now. She looked up at Deanna as she sensed the comforting thoughts of the Betazoid that were being projected towards her.

6

"You're young, Julora. There are a lot of things you don't understand yet. Don't worry; that's normal with most children. It's only important that you learn from these mistakes and try not to repeat them." Deanna said with a smile.

     At that same moment, the doors to the Ready Room opened again. Taluni and K'Mara walked in to the room. Taluni stood in the doorway for a moment as K'Mara sat next to Julora. After deciding that she wasn't in trouble, Taluni sat on the other side of Julora.

"And that's why Captain Troi is your mother now." K'Mara said gently to Julora.

"You've put me in a difficult decision, K'Mara. Just moments after I discover that I've become your mother, you attack  _and_ hospitalize the most powerful being I've ever met. Now I have to address your actions as both a parent and a captain. Do you understand why that's difficult?"

"As a mother, you're supposed to forgive your children; but as the captain, you follow a strict code of discipline." K'Mara answered after a brief silence.

"Exactly. Now how does a captain use strict discipline when she's correcting her child's mistakes?" Deanna asked calmly.

"I don't know, Captain. I've never experienced anything but cruelty until now. I've never had to consider the consequences of my actions because I was already punished just for being born."

"That's another point that troubles me. How do I discipline my crew when every one of them has already suffered more in a year than they should have to suffer in a lifetime?"

"I don't know." K'Mara repeated with a hint of regret.

"Consider yourself warned then. Violence isn't the answer to your problems anymore. Should you forget that, I will discipline you next time." Deanna's posture relaxed as Taluni sighed in relief.

"I understand, Captain." K'Mara bowed.

"K'Mara, I'm your mother now. If it makes you more comfortable, you can address me as your mother in situations like this."

"Thank you...Mother." K'Mara said with an embarrassed smile.

"Now, let's focus on what you do know. Tell me about the Q."

"Every species in this quadrant has an instinctual hatred towards the Q Continuum. They waged war against our gods billions of years ago. Every time one of our gods died, their essence became a new species. Not all of these species were peaceful though. The violent species grew stronger and the peaceful species became weaker. Species like the Bazuli and the Apoxisha took precautions to protect themselves from threats like the Borg and the Venomites, but defending themselves made it possible to help species like mine. Eventually, we were forced to accept our fate as slaves to both our enemies and history itself." Taluni spoke up this time.

"Is this true, K'Mara?"

"Yes, Mother."

"But why not forgive them and try to help fix their mistakes?" Deanna asked as she locked eyes with her eldest daughter.

"Because, Mother. We have been slaves for billions of years! How do you forgive people when you suffer a fate like mine for that long?!"

"Do you believe they should be killed for your suffering?"

"Not for mine alone, no. But for the suffering of over a dozen different species that even death cannot end, yes." K'Mara answered with hatred.

"If all of the Q are wiped out, will you be satisfied? Will their deaths finally bring the closure you're looking for?"

"No."

"Why not?" Deanna murmured.

7

"There is no punishment that will ever bring us closure. The suffering of our species has been too painful for too long."

"Then why not consider forgiveness? By holding onto this grudge, you're only suffering more. As a counselor, I can assure you that the grudge you hold against the Q Continuum will deny you from ever gaining the closure you seek; the chance to experience a peaceful life of joy and wonder. The sooner you realize that the sooner you can begin the recovery process." Deanna said.

"That may take longer than you'd like, Mother. Six billion years of suffering con't be forgiven in days or even years."

"When will you be able to forgive the Q Continuum?"

"That should be obvious, Mother. When our people are free from their enslavement to the Venomites." Julora said coldly, catching Deanna and Taluni off guard.

"Julora, sweetie, you do realize that the Q don't have the power to do that, right?" Deanna asked as she turned to face the young Dajoni.

"Not as individuals, no. But if the Q Continuum would work together to fix this, it could be done."

"Julora, are you telling me that if the Q united, they could undo the damage they've done?" Deanna asked suspiciously.

     A flash of light appeared directly in front of them, near the window. It was Q, of course. Deanna became concerned when she noticed that Q was displaying the appearance of arrogance he usually did. His face was again covered with guilt and regret.

"And that, Captain, is the Q Continuum's biggest problem right now." Q sighed as he faced the women.

"I don't understand. If the Q Continuum is willing to negotiate peace talks, why wouldn't they come together to make things right with the Zeta Quadrant?"

"Because not all of them are willing to admit that they were wrong, Mother." K'Mara hissed.

"Sadly, Captain, she is right. Even after nearly seven billion years, there are many of my fellow Q who refuse to accept responsibility for the actions of their predecessors. I'm sure even your people can appreciate that, K'Mara." Q replied with a sad smile.

"I'm not suggesting that your fellow Q be made to pay for crimes they didn't commit, but your reputation would look a lot better if they were willing to repair the damage that their predecessors caused. You can't expect to regain this quadrant's trust without experiencing prejudice and resentment." Deanna said as she stood up.

"I think deep down in every Q, that's what we're trying to avoid. You see, Captain, it's not just guilt we're trying to bury, but fear as well. The 'gods' Taluni speaks of were once a species that possessed as much knowledge and power as we did. The difference between us is that they chose to respect creation; the Q chose to question and mock creation instead. Our greatest fear is letting an inferior species discover that we're not the gods we claim to be."

"Then why share this with us?" Taluni asked suspiciously.

"Why indeed?" Q chuckled sincerely before answering, "Well, Taluni, you should consider yourself lucky to be in the company of people like Captain Riker. At this point, she's almost completely Betazoid now thanks to the telepathic properties of the Omega molecule. However, she's also Human, and that's important. Over the last half century, Humans have taught us more than the Q Continuum ever expected to learn because we thought we already knew everything. The Human species possesses a quality that the Q Continuum very much lacks and it's what made your gods so much wiser than my people."

"Is this some kind of riddle?" Taluni asked with a hint of annoyance.

"It's humility, Taluni. The quality that allows us to keep an open mind and accept that we aren't the only species in the universe that has something to offer. It's also what allows us to learn and evolve as we explore ourselves the same way we explore the universe." Deanna answered with a smirk.

"The Q Continuum's greatest fear is humility?" K'Mara asked sarcastically as she locked eyes with Q.

"To put it quite simply, yes. To embrace humility is to admit imperfection. Who in the Continuum do you think is ready to forfeit their status as an all-knowing god?" Q answered bluntly.

8

"I possess incredible powers, but I don't need anyone to call me a god." K'Mara pointed out.

"You don't come close to the power of the Q, my dear, but that's not the point. I do wish I could invite the Captain's husband; he'd understand what I'm talking about." Q sighed with disappointment.

"My husband was given the power of the Q...by this Q, no less." Deanna chuckled before continuing, "Q made a bet with Captain Picard, the man that I served on another ship."

"Serve is a word I'd rather not hear, Mother."

"I have an intimate understanding of your suffering K'Mara, but Captain Picard is a great man. He would have objected to your treatment just as passionately as I have."

"Yes, I saw him when I was suppressing your telepathic abilities. My species distrusts and despises men, but that man would have made many friends here." K'Mara smiled.

"Yes yes yes, Jean-Luc was a hopeless romantic and a dreadfully sympathetic man, which bores me to death by the way. Don't you want to know what the bet was about?" Q asked eagerly.

"You lost that bet, Q. I'm not sure why you feel the need to brag about it." Deanna smirked.

"Yes but I nearly won that bet. If he had embraced the power I had given him just a tiny bit longer, I could have become the most clever Q in history." Q scowled.

"The bet was that my husband wouldn't be able to resist the power that Q had given him and he would succumb to his status as a god. Q _did_ almost win the bet, but Captain Picard made it a point to remind him of his humanity, with the help of the crew. When my husband realized what he had to give up to become a god, he insisted that Q take back the powers. As I recall, the Continuum punished you for losing that bet." Deanna said with amusement.

"Yes, well, it's like I said; when you claim to be a god, the last thing you want people to see is imperfection." Q replied defensively.

"So you admit the Q aren't gods?" Julora asked with a grin.

"Yes, little girl. I do believe that's what I've been trying to say this whole time. If the Q Continuum would just accept this reality, we might be able to move on from the past and embrace our future." Q answered uncomfortably.

"Q, what future do you speak of? According to Captain Janeway, the Q had no future until you mated with another Q to create your son."

"As it turns out, Captain Riker, things in the Continuum aren't exactly kosher." Q replied with his devilish grin again.

"I'm not sure I follow." Deanna said with a frown.

"There are a handful of us Q who believe that the solution to our problem is not evolution, as there is nothing more we can evolve into. Instead, we need to devolve."

"Devolve? You mean you weren't always the beings I've come to know?"

"Indeed, Captain. I suppose I haven't given the Dajoni the proper acknowledgement they deserve. The Q were once exactly like the Dajoni; powerful, proud, vulnerable, and unaware of our true potential. Your species could very well be regarded as gods, someday, K'Mara, but not until you learn to harness your true power." Q said with a stern look as he faced K'Mara.

"You think becoming more like the Dajoni is your solution, Q?" Deanna asked with surprise.

"Think about it, Captain. The Dajoni are capable of wielding the same power as the Q Continuum, but they still embrace qualities like innocence, ignorance, and of course, humility."

"You're trying to shed your arrogance?" Deanna asked.

"Why not? It seems to be what keeps getting us in trouble. If we could revert back to a point in our history when we  _didn't_ know everything, we'd have a chance to explore the universe all over again; the difference is we could explore it through your eyes." Q pointed out with a hint of genuine excitement.

9

"What you're suggesting Q is...admirable, but..." Deanna trailed off.

"But what, Captain?"

"If my mother has to say it, perhaps you  _don't_ know everything yet." Julora said scornfully.

"No, I know what she's saying but I was hoping that I was wrong, as astronomically improbable as that may be." Q said with a frown.

"No, you're right, Q. What you're suggesting is a radical change that would force the members of the Q Continuum to redefine their role in the universe. I'm concerned that if the Continuum becomes fully aware of this idea, another civil war will break out."

"It may already be too late, Captain. Support of our idea grows every day; for a Q that might as well be the same as you making a life-altering decision in the blink of an eye." Q scoffed.

"How long until war breaks out in the Continuum, Q?" Deanna asked with a look of concern now.

"At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if the Continuum became a certified battlefield within the next five years." Q answered softly as he turned to stare out the window.

"Five years? How many Q are there?!" Taluni exclaimed as she stood up.

"Honestly? I couldn't say for sure. The Q have a joke though: 'If you ever doubt the magnificence of the Continuum; pick a star, any star. That star is the beating heart of a Q'." Q chuckled sadly.

"Spoken with the arrogance of a true Q, no doubt." Deanna smiled.

"No doubt, Captain. I believe I'll take my leave now." Q nodded before disappearing with a flash of light.

"This...changes everything." Deanna murmured as she began to process the new information.

_Captain's log, stardate 50345.13: After concluding our investigation into the claims made by Q, my new crew seems to confirm his story. The Q in all likelihood are in fact responsible for altering the evolutionary process of the entire Zeta Quadrant. I can only describe their actions as a scandal that was intended to hide the Continuum's bruised ego after encountering the unidentified Omega Species that seems to be more than just a myth now. The claim Q has made regarding the current situation with the Q Continuum also troubles me, however; as Q shares more secrets with me, the threat of universal devastation becomes more alarming..._

    Deanna woke up to the sound of alarms as the ship lurched suddenly. She grabbed her combadge as she began to get dressed. She tapped the combadge, but nothing happened. She tried again as she stumbled out of her quarters, but there was no response.

"Ensign T'Korez, what's going on?" Deanna demanded as the Mutorian security officer approached her.

"We're under attack by Venomites, Captain. I guess you didn't know." Ensign T'Korez sneered as he tried to pass Deanna.

"What don't I know, Ensign?" Deanna asked sternly.

"If the Venomites don't receive daily updates of K'Mara's status, all vessels not assigned to conquest missions converge on her present location." The Mutorian grinned sadistically.

"Report to your post, Ensign. I'll be addressing you about Starfleet protocol concerning crew conduct when this is over." Deanna said with a look of scorn.

"Looking forward to it, Captain." Ensign T'Korez snickered as he continued towards the lower decks.

     On the bridge, Commander T'pol's gaze was glued to the viewscreen as the enemy vessel swung around for another pass. The power flickered as the vessel flew over them, but the shields seemed to be holding. She briefly glanced behind her as one of the transporter pads sparked.

"What's our status, Chief?" T'pol asked as she faced O'Brien.

10

"Our shields are holding at ninety-two percent. No casualties have been reported yet and aside from transporters and long-range communications, all systems are on-line."

"Commander, I'm still not entirely familiar with this ship, but I think I know what the Venomites are up to." Hoshi said.

"Explain." T'pol said as she locked eyes with her.

"They're trying to disable us. If our long-range sensors are the next target, it'll confirm my fear." Hoshi warned.

"Lieutenant O'Brien, get any data you can on our long-range sensor scans." T'pol ordered.

     After a few seconds, Miles looked back at T'pol as the  _Convergence_ was hit repeatedly by the vessel again.

"Lieutenant Sato was right. The long-range sensors just went down. Before they did, I was able to confirm the presence of at least half a dozen Venomite ships that had decloaked and dropped out of warp. They'll be in firing range within thirty minutes." Lieutenant O'Brien replied.

"Lieutenant, lock weapons on the Venomite ship and fire when ready."

     As the Venomite ship fired on the  _Convergence_ again, it was quickly overwhelmed by a number of direct hits. The enemy vessel drifted to a stop as the  _Convergence_ prepared to make the jump to warp. The vessel suddenly fired a powerful blast that hit the aft section of the ship between the nacelles.

"Report!" T'pol said as the navigational station sparked out.

"We just lost warp drive and helm control. I think we were just hit with a compressed beam of Omega molecules!" Lieutenant Ezri said as she checked her auxiliary console.

"How long until the other ships reach us?"

"At this rate? We may have another fifteen minutes, if we're lucky. They're impulse engines are built for combat. They've got way more thrust then we do." O'Brien replied with a growl.

     At that same instant, Deanna stepped out of the turbolift.

"Report." Deanna said as she took her seat.

"Warp drive, helm control, long-range sensors, long-range communications, and transporters are off-line. Shields are at seventy-two percent. We disabled the Venomite ship that attacked us, but at least six more are approaching." T'pol stated calmly.

"Lieutenant Ezri, is there any chance of restoring helm control before they get here?" Deanna asked as she turned to face her.

"I think I might be able to get thruster control back, but impulse control is a different story." Ezri replied.

"Where is Commander Hansen?" Deanna asked as she turned her gaze toward T'pol again.

"Our internal communications and sensors were disabled by an electromagnetic pulse weapon during the initial attack. We've remained unsuccessful in our attempts to restore communication with the rest of the crew."

"I might know of another way to contact the crew." Deanna said.

"I'd advise against attempting to telepathically contact anyone, Captain. You risk injuring the crew by using your abilities without proper discipline." T'pol warned.

"I realize the risks, Commander, but if the Venomites attack us while we're disoriented, we won't be able to defend ourselves." Deanna countered as she closed her eyes.

      She suddenly opened her eyes and stood up. T'pol stared at her as Deanna began to approach a turbolift. T'pol followed her to the turbolift and stood silently, awaiting an explanation from the Captain. Deanna turned to face her when the doors slid open.

"K'Mara already contacted me. Apparently, Commander Hansen and Lieutenant Torres might have stumbled onto something that could hide us from those Venomites. You have the bridge, Commander."

11

"Yes Captain."

     Deanna met with Seven of Nine and B'Elanna as she entered engineering. They didn't seem surprised to see her. When they reached the warp core, Deanna spotted K'Mara standing next to one of the consoles nearby.

"It went against our better judgement, Captain, but we decided to allow K'Mara to use her telepathic abilities to communicate with you." Seven of Nine stated.

"I was about to try the same thing. What do you have?" Deanna asked.

"I was looking into the specifications of this ship when I discovered that there was another system that drew power from the storage chambers containing tachyons and chronitons." Seven of Nine reported.

"A cloaking device?" Deanna asked hopefully.

"Not just any cloaking device, Captain. Tachyons and chronitons are generally byproducts of cloaking devices, but this one utilizes them as the key components. This is a  _temporal_ cloaking device." B'Elanna said excitedly.

"Does it work?" K'Mara asked.

"We are uncertain. The Federation attempted to study temporal cloaking during the late twenty-second century, but they gave up shortly after their research began." Seven of Nine answered uneasily.

"Assuming that it does work, how much energy would be required to operate it?" Deanna asked.

"The power drain would be considerable. Lieutenant Torres suspects that we would be able to travel at maximum warp while the cloaking device is operating, but if we tried to run more than the bare essentials in that mode, all systems would fail, including life support. Weapons would also be inoperable due to our shift in the space-time continuum." Seven answered.

"Is there any way they could detect us?" Deanna asked.

"Not presently. Even the Borg would not be able to detect a ship that was temporally cloaked. If the cloaking device works, the Venomites will not be able to detect us."

"If it doesn't work, we'll be more vulnerable than we already are. We have no idea what will happen when we engage the cloaking device." B'Elanna warned.

"Do we have enough temporal energy to attempt using the cloaking device?" Deanna asked.

"That's the easy part, Captain. The Omega molecule running the ship supplies us with any type of energy we need. The purpose of the conversion matrix is to create Omega energy, but we can also reverse the process. Converting Omega energy into another form uses almost no energy."

"Captain, short-range sensors just picked up eight Venomite ships approaching at maximum impulse. They will be in weapons range in less than five minutes." Seven of Nine stated with a hint of worry.

"I can't say that I'm fond of this idea, but we don't seem to have a choice. Activate the cloaking device." Deanna said with a nod.

"It'll take at least ninety seconds to activate it, Captain."

"Do all cloaking devices take this long?" K'Mara asked.

"No. This cloaking device will take longer to activate because we're unfamiliar with the systems required to operate it. The other problem is we've never tried to phase a ship out of the space-time continuum. If this isn't done right, the temporal energy could rip us apart." B'Elanna answered uncomfortably.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have asked." K'Mara said with a frown.

     The women stood and waited as each second seemed to last for an eternity. The plasma in the warp core slowly faded from blue to gray. As K'Mara looked around, she saw that the whole room was beginning to fade. She noticed that even her uniform had lost almost all of it's color.

12

"T'pol to the Captain."

"Go ahead." Deanna replied.

"The self-repair system seems to have restored communications, but it appears we have a new problem. According to sensors, we've been caught in some kind of temporal phenomenon."

"That's us, Commander. We're attempting to operate a unique type of cloaking device. I'll be briefing the senior crew if we come out of this alive. Troi out."

"Captain, I believe the cloaking device is working. The Venomite ships are approaching warp velocity at impulse speed. They clearly do not want us to escape." Seven reported with a smirk as she glanced down at a nearby console.

"If I had to guess, Captain, I'd say we're disappearing right in front of their eyes." B'Elanna said with a grin.

"Let's hope so, otherwise we'll be the new additions to the Venomite's slave collection." Deanna warned.

"Over my dead body!" K'Mara hissed.

"Do not forget, K'Mara, death is not permanent for slaves of the Venomites." Seven of Nine warned as Deanna glanced at her Dajoni daughter uncomfortably.

"What would you know, Borg?" K'Mara spat.

"Three months, seventeen days, twenty-two hours, and fourteen seconds. That is the duration of my captivity. I was terminated five times before a fleet of Borg cubes re-assimilated me into the Collective. You are not the only survivor of Venomite enslavement, K'Mara." Seven stated unpleasantly, glancing down at the console again.

     The room grew silent again as everyone waited. The console in front of B'Elanna chimed. She looked down at the console and gasped as she held out her hand. As the women examined themselves, they discovered that they're bodies had begun to deteriorate, with the exception of K'Mara.

"The good news is the Venomite ships cannot detect us. However, it would seem that non-Omega lifeforms cannot survive outside of the space-time continuum." Seven said, her voice faltering now.

"Captain, I'm no doctor, but judging by the rate of deterioration, I'd say we have another minute before everyone who doesn't have an Omega physiology is dead." B'Elanna warned, still staring at her hand.

     K'Mara closed her eyes. As Deanna looked up at her, something else caught her attention. The warp core had begun to return to it's normal color. Suddenly, the ship lurched forward. Seven of Nine managed to catch Deanna while grabbing onto a console. Seven winced as she experienced sudden pain, but she didn't loosen her grip on Deanna's arm.

     As Deanna looked up at K'Mara, she gasped when she realized that her own hand was no longer aging forward, but backwards, instead. The process continued for what seemed an eternity. The Betazoid had a look of horror on her face as she realized that all of her years were being transferred to her daughter now. K'Mara grew older as each second passed, turning her body into dust until it began to crumble.

     The ship came to an abrupt halt. When Deanna looked up again, K'Mara had reverted to her original age. She ran up to K'Mara and sighed with relief to find that she was alive. When Deanna finally regained her senses, she realized that the room was no longer faded, suggesting that the cloaking device was deactivated.

"T'pol to the Captain. We have a situation."

"What is it, Commander?" Deanna asked as she became alert.

"The Venomite ships are disabled."

"All eight of them?"

"No Captain. Our long-range sensors were restored when the cloaking device shut down. We've detected fifty Venomite ships that have been disabled within a range of four light-years."

13

"Are you telling me that there are fifty disabled ships on our sensors?" Deanna asked in surprise.

"That is correct, Captain."

"Can we determine how they were disabled?"

"The cause remains unknown, but it appears the ships were disabled by natural decay."

"I think I might be able to explain that." Deanna murmured as she looked down at K'Mara.

"I have made one other observation which has me unsettled."

"What is it, T'pol?"

     There was a brief pause before T'pol replied, "In addition to my telepathic pathways being restored, with the exceptions of Constable Odo and Lieutenant Ezri, all of the original crew have reverted back to a younger age."

"Have all of the original crew meet me in sickbay. I suspect I may be able to explain  _that_ as well."

     K'Mara slowly opened her eyes as she became conscious again. She realized that she was surrounded by her crew as she tried to sit up. The Doctor gently pushed her back down as she began to realize how exhausted she was.

"You may want to wait until your body adjusts to the strain you just put it through. According to the scans I took when you were brought in, you aged over fourteen thousand years while we were cloaked. Excellent idea, by the way, but I'll get back to that in a moment." The Doctor pause as he gave the Captain an irritated look before continuing, "Now, considering that the oldest Dajoni on record was only twenty-three years, two months, and one day old, it's a miracle you're still alive. The fact that you were able to revert back to your original age is nothing short of a scientific impossibility."

"Actually, Doctor, that's not quite accurate." Hoshi said slowly as everyone glanced at her.

"Explain." Deanna said as she became curious now.

"Lieutenant O'Brien has managed to reassemble about thirty-seven percent of the archives now. Our data files on the Dajoni are completely restored, as requested, Captain. One of the things that struck me as odd was that it mentioned something about Dajoni telepathic links creating duplicate neural patterns of the Dajoni their linked with. Transporter technology is fairly new in my time, but could there be similarities?"

"Lieutenant Sato, are you suggesting that the link between Dajoni could also be used as a telepathic transporter of some means?" T'pol asked, becoming curious herself.

"Maybe. The transporter needs our biological DNA pattern to work, right?" Hoshi asked awkwardly.

"It's an interesting hypothesis, Lieutenant. Normally, I'd say it wasn't possible unless the neural pathways were still active and I can assure you that after fourteen thousand years, her organs would have decayed just as much as the rest of her body did. However, until we can understand the nature of Omega molecules and their relation to the physiology of the species in this quadrant, I can't rule out the possibility that the Omega residue may be able to store neural energy, as well as neural patterns." The Doctor said as he raised an eyebrow.

"I still don't understand what happened to all of those years though. If K'Mara reverted to her original age and made all of us young again, where did all of those years go? That's a massive amount of temporal energy that was displaced." Chief O'Brien pointed out.

"Commander T'pol, when you scanned the Venomite ships, how severe did the decay appear to be?" Deanna asked.

"According to sensor scans, the vessels had undergone nearly two hundred and eighty-one years of decay when we came out of cloaking mode." T'pol answered.

"Captain, if fifty ships experienced two hundred eighty point six-three-eight years of decay, it would be equivalent to the fourteen thousand and thirty-one years that K'Mara aged by." Seven of Nine pointed out with amusement.

14

"My god! How many people were on those ships?" Deanna asked as she stared at K'Mara now.

"Our sensor scans detected over ten thousand Venomite life signs during the decay process. No other species were detected in the area with the exception of our crew." T'pol reported.

"Will you all give me a moment with my daughter, please." Deanna said flatly.

"Keep in mind, it could have been a lot worse, Captain." Ezri whispered as she left.

     When the room was quiet, Deanna approached K'Mara's bed and stood in front of her. K'Mara knew what was coming as she probed her mother's thoughts. She was caught off guard when she was forced out by Deanna's thoughts. Deanna slapped her face as K'Mara tried to probe her mind again.

"NO!"

     K'Mara stared at her mother in shock as she rubbed her cheek. Deanna began to sob as she fell to her knees. She reached up and grabbed her shoulder as K'Mara stared at the ceiling with guilt.

"This has got to stop, K'Mara! You can't keep doing this! You can't keep using your powers to kill the enemy. Eventually it will destroy you. If the Venomite don't get you, your lack of control will."

"Where was I supposed to put that energy, Mother?! I couldn't keep it, and neither could anyone else on this ship! You were dying and I saved you!"

"Yes but at what price?! How long do you think it'll be before you stop feeling guilty about your actions and completely lose yourself to this power?!"

"I  _had_ to do something, Mother! It was the first thing that I thought of and I tried it."

" _Tried_ it? You mean to say you weren't even sure if it would work?" Deanna asked with shock.

"I knew I could absorb the temporal energy, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to release it, much less control where it was sent to." K'Mara replied defensively.

"So if you failed-."

"Yes Mother, I'd be dead." K'Mara snapped.

     A heavy silence filled the room now. After rising to her feet, Deanna began to pace around K'Mara's bed as she thought about what she was going to say next. K'Mara became anxious as the silence and concerned expression on her mother's face suggested that she wasn't going to like what happened next.

"You're going to punish me, aren't you?"

"From your point of view, it's certainly going to seem like it, but that's not my intention." Deanna answered as she continued to pace.

"What, then?"

"Your actions have demonstrated that you're clearly unaware of just how vulnerable and dangerous you are at this age."

"Taluni said I would have received proper training if there had been another Dajoni to help me." K'Mara reminded her.

"I'm aware of that. I also realize your people are too well hidden; the chances of finding another Dajoni to help you are fairly slim."

"If I can't keep killing Venomites and I can't suppress my powers, how do you plan to help me?"

"I'm sure we'll all end up regretting this, but it's the only solution I can think of." Deanna paused with a sigh before saying, "Q, I need your help."

     Q appeared in front of the entrance of the room. He was different this time. Instead of his typical aura of arrogance, the aura he emitted was far less cheerful. His aura was dark and cautious; it created an atmosphere of unpleasant anticipation and dread. Deanna was surprised when she identified it as genuine fear.

"Although the idea of parenting a child with you certainly fascinates me, Captain, I regret to say you have too much baggage." Q said cautiously as he stared at K'Mara.

15

"Q, I'm married, you already have a child to parent, and your baggage far outweighs mine." Deanna replied irritably.

"What baggage? I'm quite charming and to be blunt, there isn't a man who could hope to offer you as much as I can." Q grinned now.

"You're arrogant, egotistical, selfish, oblivious to everything other than your own satisfaction, and ignore the consequences of your actions, to be blunt." Deanna said calmly.

"They're all part of the same flaw. If that's all you've got on me, Captain, it seems like my baggage isn't so bad once you get to know me." Q said with pleasure.

"Well, you do have another flaw, but I believe people are entitled to secrets, regardless of what species they are." Deanna grinned.

"I have plenty of secrets, Doc, but flaws aren't one of them." Q chuckled.

     Deanna approached Q before whispering in his ear, "Jealousy."

"That's absurd. What could possibly give you that impression?" Q demanded with a look of outrage.

"The price you pay for having a personality is that eventually if you get close enough to someone, they get to know you." Deanna continued to grin.

"Well that just proves my point! You  _do_ have too much baggage. Counselors make horrible lovers! They play head games with you and before you know it you have no secrets left. I'm glad we talked but I must be leaving now." Q said, clearly offended now.

"Q, if you don't help her, there may not be a Zeta Quadrant to negotiate with when you come back." Deanna warned.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. You may have a point there, Captain." Q said as he began to consider the possibilities.

     The room grew silent again as Q seemed to weigh the pros and cons of what Deanna was asking. He approached K'Mara and began to pace, keeping his eyes locked on her. Deanna followed closely behind him, stopping at the foot of the bed as he continued to pace. Eventually he stopped to face Deanna before he spoke.

"Okay, Captain. I see she could clearly benefit from my guidance. The child is more gifted than any of you could possibly realize and it would be an honor to teach her the secrets of immortality."

"Another chance to brag about your accomplishments, Q?"

"Well of course, Captain! How else will I brag if I don't take credit for anything?"

"Fine Q, you'll be given credit where credit is due." Deanna sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't really seem fair, but if you insist. I do have one condition, however."

"Don't you always? What's your condition, Q?"

"Don't give me that look, Captain. You haven't even heard my condition yet and I certainly hope you're not reading my thoughts again." Q scolded.

"No Q, I'm not reading your thoughts. Now what's your condition?"

"This may be the most civilized offer I give you, so listen carefully." Q paused as he looked at K'Mara, "If you kill me, I'm not coming back."

"That's generally the idea, Q." Deanna said with a look of amusement.

"These creatures are so amusing. They still struggle to comprehend four dimensions; never mind the reality of death. Three-dimensional thinking is one of the first things I'll be teaching you how to overcome, by the way." Q said with his usual arrogant aura again.

"First teach her how to avoid destroying the universe, Q."

"Oh...right."

     Q stared at K'Mara as he decided how to teach her, then turned to face Deanna again.

"You know, Captain; on second thought, this might be one accomplishment I can live with not taking credit for." Q said as K'Mara flashed his own devilish grin back at him.

16

     As the senior crew returned to their stations, Chief O'Brien couldn't help but chuckle as he thought about what Q had volunteered for. Ezri picked up on this after checking their navigational status from her console. She swiveled her chair to face O'Brien as he continued to chuckle.

"What's so funny, Chief?"

"I've never seen Q scared of anything. Well, not since he was punished by the Q Continuum for that bet with Captain Picard that he lost, anyway."

"What bet?"

"Q gave Commander Riker the power of the Q when I was serving on the  _Enterprise_. He made a bet with Captain Picard that Riker would throw his humanity away to embrace the power of the Q." Miles said with another chuckle.

"What were the stakes?"

"If Q won, Captain Picard would have to give up his command of the  _Enterprise._ But if the Captain won, Q had to stop interfering with the development of Humanity."

"Clearly, he didn't keep that promise. We saw him on DS9."

"Yeah, funny thing about that. The punishment I mentioned earlier?"

"What about it?" Ezri asked.

"The Q Continuum sent him back to us without his powers. Not long after, he seemed to redeem himself by making an act of compassion. The Continuum gave him back his powers and he went back to annoying us."

     One of the consoles at Chief O'Brien's station chimed.

"Report." T'pol said.

"There's another vessel coming up behind us. They're traveling at warp nine point six-two-eight."

"Can you identify what type of vessel it is, Lieutenant?"

"Beyond the fact that it's not Venomite, your guess is as good as mine, Commander."

"Raise shields and open hailing frequencies."

     After a few seconds, the Chief said, "They're responding."

"Very well, open a channel."

     As T'pol stood up, the figure of an alien woman appeared on the screen. The size of her bald scalp suggested that her brain was larger than the average human's; her large green fish-like eyes and long oval ears added to her uniqueness. Her dark pink skin was covered with a blue uniform that seemed to resemble mid twenty-first century diving gear. She had five digits on each hand, but only four digits on her feet.

"Greetings. I am Commander Nalmok of the Apoxisha Counter-Trafficking Division."

"I am Commander T'pol of the _RSS Convergence_. Is there some way we can be of assistance?"

"Our scans indicate that you're not from this quadrant. There are eight other individuals who appear to be of non-Zeta origins. Under Apoxisha CTD regulation twenty-two, you are obligated to identify your species, point of origin, and business in the Zeta Quadrant." The Apoxisha said sternly.

"According to Starfleet regulations, first contact should be conducted by the senior officer of the ship. I will need to address Captain Troi before this dialogue can continue."

"Very well. However, by authority of the Apoxisha Crime Prevention Fleet, you are ordered to drop out of warp and lower your shields."

"Lieutenant Ezri, drop out of warp. Lieutenant O'Brien, go to level two yellow alert."

17

"Commander T'pol, you're expected to fully comply with Apoxisha regulations when addressing an Apoxisha officer." Commander Nalmok warned.

"Commander Nalmok, I believe your scans will confirm that our primary systems are powered down, along with propulsion and weapon systems. Furthermore, our shields are currently protecting us from directed energy weapons and outgoing transporter beams. If you're not satisfied with our response, you'll have to discuss the matter with my captain."

"Very well. Your captain has ten minutes to respond. If the situation is not resolved, we will respond with force."

"Understood.  _Convergence_ out."

"Well, that went better than expected." Hoshi said sarcastically.

"On the contrary, Lieutenant; the Apoxisha's respect for diplomacy may give us the opportunity Captain Troi has been waiting for to begin building an alliance in the Zeta Quadrant."

     Three minutes later, Deanna was coming out of the turbolift. She could sense that the crew was nervous as she took her seat. She gave Chief O'Brien the signal to open communications again.

"Commander Nalmok, I'm Captain Troi. The unidentified beings are members of the United Federation of Planets. We're from the Alpha and Beta Quadrant. I'm Betazoid and Lieutenants O'Brien and Sato are Human."

"I'm not familiar with those species."

"Lieutenant Ezri is Trill, Commander T'pol is Vulcan, and Lieutenant Torres is Klingon."

"I know of the Klingons. I'll give the Klingon the benefit of the doubt, though past experiences with them have been unpleasant."

"Commander Hansen is Human, our doctor is a hologram, and Constable Odo is a Changeling."

"Captain Troi, I would suggest that you remain honest with me at all times. Commander Hansen is not Human, not entirely Human. We've detected her Borg implants."

"I have no intention of deceiving you, Commander Nalmok. She was Borg, but we managed to remove the Borg programming. She's almost entirely Human now."

"Captain, the Borg are one of this quadrant's greatest threats. As long as she's on board we will not allow you to keep your other passengers. If you attempt to move your ship before handing the passengers over, we will open fire."

"Commander, we're on a mission of peace. Our mission is to get as many people home as possible, including ourselves. We'd be more than happy to receive your help accomplishing our mission, but I have no intention of letting anyone stop us from completing our mission."

     There was an awkward silence now. Both officers stared each other down as they tried to determine whether the other would crack. T'pol stood up from her station and approached the Captain before whispering in her ear. Deanna nodded.

"Commander Nalmok, are you aware of the Vulcan species?"

"Until today, I had never met the species personally. However, the Odari speak of Vulcans as a wise and enlightened people." Nalmok answered.

"Do you trust the Odari, Commander?"

"For the most part, but I'm not prepared to trust you simply because the Odari think they can trust you."

"That is a logical precaution to take against us. However, are you aware that my species prefer peace and honesty over unnecessary conflict?"

"The Odari have said that Vulcans rarely commit crimes. What are you proposing, Commander T'pol?"

18

"Commander Nalmok, when I first served under a Human captain, the crew around me was distrustful, confrontational, and driven by misconceptions when judging my species. Over time, they learned to overcome their misconceptions and I slowly became accepted as their friend. I'm not implying that you should become Commander Hansen's friend, but I would suggest that if she is to be judged, you judge her for her actions rather than the actions of her species."

"Very well," Nalmok said with a brief pause, whispering into another Apoxisha's ear before continuing, "In the spirit of diplomacy, we will grant your request. I will board your ship with a tribunal team. At this time, I ask you to stand down from your defensive posture unless you still consider us a threat."

"Captain, I suggest we grant her request. Not doing so could be misinterpreted as a sign of guilt." T'pol pointed out.

"Of course. Chief, stand down from yellow alert status."

"Aye Captain."

"Commander Nalmok, the crew of the  _RSS Convergence_ will offer it's full cooperation and so will I."

_Captain's Log, Supplemental: The Apoxisha have been questioning my crew for three days now. Their telepathic abilities and familiarity with the ship's systems make it impossible to withhold anything from them. Their investigation has been thorough; I doubt they'd miss a needle in a haystack. The Apoxisha pursuit for justice is a brutal one. I can only hope that the Apoxisha are able to see the individual that Commander Hansen has become. Otherwise, it is doubtful that we will ever got home._

"Captain, it's been three days! They've questioned every crew member, inspected every personal log, studied all available data, and observed Seven for the last twenty-four hours! Shouldn't they have all the evidence they need to reach a decision?" B'Elanna scowled as she continued to pace back and forth in front of the doors to the conference room.

"B'Elanna, these people are looking out for the best interest of the Zeta Quadrant. The fact that we don't belong here makes it difficult for Commander Nalmok to take us at our word. The Borg have never backed down from a fight either, so it doesn't help when every species they meet is going to be another enemy."

"That's just it though. She's  _not_ a Borg! If they can't realize that, they're making a big mistake!" B'Elanna said angrily.

"Suppose they rule against her? What do you propose we do?"

"Isn't it obvious, Captain? We fight our way out! They have no right to punish her for the actions of a species she abandoned!"

"She's not innocent, B'Elanna. She's taken part in the mass-murders of countless species." Deanna said firmly.

"Not in the Zeta Quadrant though! The Venomites took her before she could assimilate anyone. In fact, that should make her as much a victim as any of those Apoxisha!" B'Elanna argued.

"Perhaps you're right. Perhaps she's another innocent victim in the Zeta Quadrant. What then? After we disable that Apoxisha ship, how do  _we_ prove our innocence? How do we make any friends when we violate their laws to save ourselves? How are we different from the Borg? Maybe we don't kill, but we don't respect them either and that makes us a threat."

"I don't believe this! You're willing to abandon Seven of Nine to get home?! If they rule her threat, you'd either have to hand the passengers over or hand Seven over. To be honest, I can't picture you as the type who'd give up on trying to get home."

"What is that suppose to mean, Lieutenant?" Deanna asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"Okay, Captain. Let's approach this from another angle. Forget we're officers for a minute. Let's talk wife to wife."

"Okay, B'Elanna Paris, what are your thoughts?"

"I'm a wife and a mother. I know that although my husband may accept that I'm not coming back, my daughter would never be the same. I don't care how old she is; a child's loss is far more painful than the spouse's loss. That being said, I know that a Betazoid's loss is worse. I don't think you're ready to face a loss like that."

19

"The Betazoid bond to a spouse is strong, that's true. But I have children as well. I've even lost a child. I will not abandon my crew to put my own safety above theirs. I worked hard to get where I am in Starfleet and even harder to become the person that I am. I'm not prepared to abandon my beliefs just to get home. If I did, I wouldn't have a home to return to, on my planet or with my family."

"Then what do you suggest we do if they rule against her?"

"Hand over the passengers. When we get to the Votarin home world, we'll relocate there."

"Are you sure you can let K'Mara and Julora go? They're your daughters. Could you really locate without them."

"No," Deanna murmured, "But I don't think I'll have to fight to keep them. Unless the Apoxisha are prepared to deal with the Dajoni's unstable telepathic abilities, they'll be safer with us."

     The doors to the conference room slid open to reveal Commander Nalmok.

"A decision has been made. Please enter." Nalmok said.

     Deanna and B'Elanna sat on either side of Seven. B'Elanna could tell by looking at her fellow crew mate that she was worried now. They directed their gazes toward Commander Nalmok as she sat down across from them. She cleared her throat with an uncomfortable look on her face.

"After careful examination of the facts, a verdict has been reached. This was not an easy verdict to reach and it's likely we will all suffer consequences because of it. Commander Annika Hansen, formerly known as Seven of Nine of Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero-One, these are the facts as they stand. You were once the member of a species that has killed billions of individuals throughout the universe. You've shown a tendency to disobey the orders of your commanding officers when it suits you. You are frequently confrontational with others when they disagree with your opinion. You tend to be blunt, rude, and intimidating when expressing yourself to others.

"However, you've also accepted change since leaving the Borg Collective. You've learned to embrace difference. You've learned to work in an environment where individuals express multiple opinions on a subject. You've learned to keep an open mind, though that may be one of your greatest struggles. The greatest quality you've demonstrated though is the ability to care. You're role as a parental figure has proven that you have indeed surpassed the stereotypes of your former Borg counterparts. It is for this reason that our verdict was so difficult to reach.

"Commander Annika Hansen, it is with deep regret that I must inform you that the Apoxisha Criminal Prevention Fleet...does  _not_ consider you a threat to the well-being of the Zeta Quadrant."

     Commander Nalmok's fellow Apoxisha gasped as they all turned to stare at her with outrage. Deanna sensed the overwhelming emotion of betrayal as the tribunal team seemed to be froxen with silent hatred now. Commander Nalmok stood up as a look of pain filled her eyes now.

"I am certain I've made many enemies among my people today and will be stripped of my title in the Apoxisha CPF, but as a sworn officer of the law and a single mother, I do not recognize the crimes of Commander Hansen's previous species as grounds to remove your passengers from this ship, Captain. Furthermore, I do not recognize her involvement with Borg forces in this quadrant to remove her from her duties as the exemplary mother that she has become. I wish you the best of luck in your journey home, Captain. This tribunal is concluded."

     Seven of Nine sat in shock as the rest of the tribunal team left the conference room. Many of them glared at her with contempt as they walked by her. One stopped and faced Captain Troi. He spoke with anger now.

"Captain, my commanding officer has shown mercy on you, your officer, and your ship. Make no mistake though; the next time we meet, the Apoxisha will not be so forgiving."

     Commander Nalmok finally started to approach them when the last Apoxisha had left the room. She stood next to Captain Troi in silence as they locked gazes. Deanna turned to face her friends briefly.

20

"Congratulations, Commander. You may not have made many friends today, but you came through for us when we needed you most. You're both dismissed."

     When the room was finally empty, the two women faced each other on opposite sides of the table. The longer Commander Nalmok sat in silence, the more Deanna could sense of her pain and guilt. Her face remained expressionless, but tears began to fall from her face now. Deanna broke the silence as her counseling instincts kicked in.

"You did the right thing, Commander. I realize the price you're going to have to pay, but everyone on this ship is extremely grateful for the act of compassion you've shown us."

"That seems to be of little comfort right now, Captain. In the eyes of my people, I'm a traitor. I'm likely to become an outcast. My rank will be stripped, my children will abandon me, and I will never be allowed to reenter Apoxisha space."

"That seems to be a harsh punishment for upholding justice." Deanna said softly.

"That's just it, Captain. Commander Hansen was our one chance to make the Borg answer to their crimes. As a survivor of assimilation, she retained the memories and experienced the guilt we were seeking to witness when implementing the punishment. There is no satisfaction in punishing a drone that feels nothing." Commander Nalmok smiled sadly.

"Why didn't the other Apoxisha overrule you then?"

"Regulations, Captain. The only thing we consider to be more sacred than love and justice is the code we live by. According to regulations, the superior officer cannot be challenged by their subordinates during an active investigation. Until I file a report of the tribunal, I can't be relieved of command unless a superior officer is present to do so." Nalmok chuckled.

"Little comfort indeed. If you request asylum, Commander, we could protect you from your own people. You'd make a find addition to our crew." Deanna offered.

"Thank you for the gracious gesture, but as I stated, we hold justice as a sacred thing. I must take responsibility for the consequences of my actions. However," Nalmok paused now as she considered something, "Until my report is filed, I am authorized to grant a passenger exchange."

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" Deanna asked as she became curious.

"We're aware of the rescue you recently succeeded in, accounting for your current passenger manifest. My ship has also taken part in a rescue mission recently. My passengers are already trained to operate the systems on your ship, however..." Nalmok trailed off suddenly.

"What is it, Commander?"

"The Apoxisha are also telepaths. That in mind, I'd like to thank you for not trying to probe my thoughts. Returning to the issue, however; I've taken the time to study species outside of the Zeta Quadrant. I know the Betazoid species has an intimate connection with their sexuality."

"Yes, that's true. I'm not sure I understand though."

"It has come to my attention that the slaves I've rescued are more traumatized by their captivity than yours are, due to the beliefs of their species. You're crew consists primarily of Lunarians, Zenarians, and Elzofa. However, my passengers are primarily Hydova, Tulikon, and Rodavi."

"I'm guessing they also experience sexuality more intimately than most species in this quadrant?"

"Captain, all three of those species are female only. They don't have a male gender. Can you imagine being enslaved together with three female-only species that thrive on intimacy as a spiritual belief? My crew isn't qualified to care for them. Will you help me?"


	5. The Birds and Bees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The RSS CONVERGENCE makes a passenger exchange after a brief and unfortunate diplomatic encounter with an Apoxisha ship. As the new additions to the crew resume their course to the Votarin home world, the issue of intimacy becomes troubling as the deeply intimate Betazoid discovers more about the new species she has been left to live with during her long voyage home. It becomes quite clear that intimacy may become an all too common occurrence among her crew...

Chapter 5: The Birds and Bees

Stardate: 50345.75

 _Captain's log, stardate 50345.75: I'm beginning to realize I may have gotten more than I bargained for when I agreed to Commander Nalmok's passenger exchange. My new passengers grow more restless by the hour as a result of the Apoxisha's discomfort around these unique individuals. Although I've met with many of them personally, I'm reluctant to introduce them to the rest of the crew until the Doctor can provide me with more information regarding their special needs. At the same time, I can't afford to continue running the_ Convergence  _with half a crew. Eventually I may have to face the inevitable fact that this ship may become a nursery as well. Furthermore, out of our two hundred and fifty-five passengers, less than one hundred are male._

"Doctor, are you sure the data you have on the Rotavi species is accurate?" Deanna asked with concern.

"I'm afraid so. Chief O'Brien has managed to recover seventy percent of the Rotavi files so far. By cross-referencing their data with firsthand accounts from other species, I have confirmed that the information we have is accurate." The Doctor answered.

"Has any Federation vessel ever dealt with a situation like this before?"

"No. There has never been an incident like this in the Alpha Quadrant. I'm afraid we're on our own, once again."

"Let's get straight to the point, Doctor. What kind of an impact are the Rotavi going to have on the crew?" Deanna asked.

"Well, let's reexamine the facts. As far as we can tell, the Rotavi appear to be a slave species genetically engineered to serve the psychological and sexual demands of the Venomites. Eventually, they staged a rebellion against the Venomites and now share sector sixteen with the Elzofa. However, their sole purpose is to feed on the gratification of sexuality. Furthermore, the examinations I took of the Rotavi suggest that after three days without sexual stimuli, they begin to enter psychosis. They die if they haven't received adequate stimuli after a week."

"So if a Rotavi goes without sex for a week, she dies?" Deanna asked slowly.

"Based on Rotavi physiology, a Rotavi needs at least eight hours of sexual stimuli per day to survive." The Doctor answered reluctantly.

"You're certain?!"

"Captain, the Rotavi are a unique and regrettably flawed species in that their need for sexual stimuli is equivalent to most humanoid species' dependency on sleep. The Rotavi require no sleep, in fact. The Rotavi have a higher tolerance to pain and greater endurance levels than any other species I've seen. That being said, A Rotavi's adrenaline levels are incredibly high; so high that the sexual stimuli is needed to reduce the adrenaline."

"I don't understand, Doctor. There are plenty of ways to release that kind of energy. Why does it have to be sexual stimuli?"

"Both the neural pathways and chemical composition of Rotavi physiology were engineered to lack the responses required to suppress their adrenaline levels. Put simply, foreign DNA is required to counteract the adrenaline and the DNA can only be injected through sexual activity."

"Doctor," Deanna paused before asking, "Isn't there some way you can help them? I'm not sure I can accommodate the Rotavi's special needs."

"Eventually it may be possible to alter the Rotavi's physiology, but for the time being, the reality is every Rotavi on board is going to need multiple partners on a daily basis. I can't begin to attempt creating an artificial alternative until I have a better understanding of how much stimuli they can handle. The stimuli is much a drug to them as ketracel white is to the Jem'hadar. Too much stimuli will have the same effect as too little."

"Over-arousal can kill the Rotavi?" Deanna asked with alarm now.

"Most certainly. The Rotavi aren't capable of desensitizing themselves to sexual stimuli like humans are. I have no doubt that the Venomites killed countless Rotavi simply by violating them repeatedly." The Doctor scowled now.

2

"What about the Rotavi children, Doctor? Surely they don't have the same requirements?"

"I'm afraid the genetic engineering is quite thorough. Upon the age of eight, a Rotavi becomes fully dependent on the stimuli. From the ages of eight to eighty, their dependence is absolute."

"My god! What the hell are we supposed to do about that?!"

"In spite of all the combined medical knowledge I possess, I can't offer a solution; not a solution that will allow them to live as the children they should be, rather than the victims they were made to be."

     Deanna stumbled over to a chair, falling into it as she became overwhelmed with emotion now. Even after entering the Zeta Quadrant, she had never experienced an emotional outburst like this. She became fully aware that as their captain, she was as responsible for every child on board as a parent would be; as that parent, she had failed every single one of those Rotavi.

"Captain! Are you alright?! Your telepathic activity is off the charts." The Doctor exclaimed as he quickly examined his medical tricorder.

"All those children, Doctor. As the Captain of this ship, I'm responsible for every man, woman, and child on board. They might as well be my children and I've failed them." Deanna said, devoid of emotion.

"Captain, this isn't your fault. There's nothing you can do to help them."

"What comfort is that though, knowing that those girls will experience more intimacy in a single month than I'll experience in a lifetime? They were sold the day they were born and now I'll be reminded of that every day."

     The Doctor had no words of comfort as he stared at his traumatized Captain.

"Our mission is to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before, but this is one time where I wish I wasn't part of that mission."

"I'm sure neither Captain Picard or Captain Janeway would want to be here either. However, you _are_ here and now you're being forced to make a decision."

"What decision might that be, Doctor?"

"Whether to completely shut down and give up or force yourself to move forward and face this atrocity with all the grace and cunning that our Captains have always shown when we begin to lose faith in ourselves."

"I didn't ask for this." Deanna said emptily.

"None of us did, Captain, but this crew has chosen to put its faith in you because you've demonstrated that you're willing to fight for those who can't fight. If you want those children to grow up with more than just trauma, you'll need to show them what it means to be alive!"

"I suppose you're right, Doctor."

"I know I am." The Doctor replied adamantly.

"Is that arrogance I detect, Doctor?" Deanna asked with a weak smile.

"I doubt you can read my mind, Captain, but you're welcome to try." The Doctor said with a triumphant smile.

"No need, Doctor. B'Elanna could do that for me."

"I see. Well in that case, I accept defeat in the presence of my Captain's cunning approach." The Doctor said awkwardly.

"I said she could; I didn't say she should. Now about the other species, the Hydova and the Tulikon." Deanna smiled as she slowly came to her senses again.

3

"Of course. The Hydova are female counterparts to the Dolamus. They're not engineered like the Rotavi, but upon the age of fifteen, the urge to bond increases steadily for the next three years before the body completes puberty, allowing the Hydova to cope with the new emotions. The Tulikon exhibit behavior that more closely resembles the seasonal cycle of a flower. Each of the four subspecies represent a different season of the year. Their mating practices are much like Vulcan Pon Farr, but on a yearly basis and for a period of three months."

"Do you have any good news, Doctor?"

"There are no Hydova children yet, so easing the symptoms of Hydova puberty aren't a high priority at the moment. The Tulikon mating ritual is quite vague, suggesting that reproduction could occur in many different ways. However, I suspect that it's only a matter of time before I'm able to create a pathogen that will control their urges as well."

"Is that all?"

"Not quite. There is one other issue with the Tulikon. For them to reproduce, they need an environment that mimics a tropical rain forest. As the Tulikon's mating cycles parallel the seasonal cycles, I recommend that one of our holodecks be converted to a Tulikon mating zone with a tropical climate matching the seasonal cycles on the Tulikon home world. The last thing to mention is that eventually this ship won't have enough space to house all of the passengers."

"That became quite clear when Commander T'pol reported thirty-seven separate incidents of passengers engaging in public acts of intimacy. As for the holodeck; you may begin working on the Tulikon program with B'Elanna immediately. I believe she's our top holographic specialist." Deanna frowned.

"Aye, Captain."

"Good. If you'll excuse me, I have _parental_ duties I need to attend to now." Deanna sighed as she stood up from the chair.

"Of course, Captain. I wish you the best of luck with your children." The Doctor said with a warm smile.

     A group of alien children were seated in one of the classrooms on deck seven as Deanna stood in front of the room. Their mothers were staring at the Betazoid as she considered how to open the dialogue. To her surprise, Julora was the first to speak up.

"You all know this being as Captain Troi, but I call her 'Mom'. I never thought my mother would be an outsider to our ways, but she's been there when I needed her. She's a good person and she can help you if you let her. All she needs is a chance to understand us."

"Well put, Julora. I'd be happy to help in any way I can." Lieutenant Aloris chuckled.

"Thank you, Giltora and Julora. I've called you all here because there's a lot I don't know about your species. I've called the oldest child of each species to get a better understanding of what your culture is like."

"What can we help you with, Captain?" The oldest parent asked.

"Commander...Domika?"

"Yes Captain. I am the oldest Rotavi here."

     Deanna stared awkwardly at the Rotavi now. She looked very much human, but there were noticeable differences between the species. Deanna continued to experience discomfort as she stared down at the eighty-two year old Rotavi; the Rotavi still appeared to be fourteen both inwardly and outwardly. The Betazoid was very much bothered by the fact that the oldest person on board was still a child.

     Domika had long, tightly braided red hair and large, intimidating green eyes. She also had what appeared to be an intricate tattoo design on her forehead and unusual plates protruding from behind her shoulders just below her neck. Aside from the Starfleet uniform that covered her smooth gray skin, she wore a gold collar, gold bracelets, and gold anklets.

4

"Well, Commander, right now my primary concern is the Rotavi. Although my species share some similarities with the Rotavi, the concept of focusing one's life entirely on intimacy is something that I find concerning, to say the least." Deanna said delicately.

"How so?" Domika asked.

"According to the Doctor, you require eight hours a day of intimate contact with multiple partners by the age of eight."

"That is correct."

"Most species I've encountered outside of this quadrant don't allow their children to participate in those types of activities until they're many years older. Are there any safeguards or precautions you take to protect your children, Commander?"

"I don't understand what you're asking, Captain." Domika replied hesitantly.

"That's understandable. Let's try something different." Deanna paused before asking, "Domika, when you were held captive on the Venomite ship, were you comfortable having intimate relations with your captors?"

"I most certainly did not!" Domika hissed.

"Why not?"

"I was never given the freedom to choose my partner, the type of activity I participated in, or how intense the activity was. I was treated like an animal!"

"How do you protect your children from situations like that, Commander?" Deanna asked again.

"Intimate relations are controlled by strict laws which protect my people based on their age. At the age of eight, their needs have to be met through means which cause minimal pain. By the age of fourteen, there are no limitations to the types of activities they may perform with their partners. However; by law, the Rotavi partner must have the final say at all times regarding these activities. The idea of covering our bodies is normally a crime, so violating a Rotavi partner is generally punishable by death." Domika explained.

"You do realize that you're going to have to follow Starfleet regulations on this ship, right?" Deanna asked, studying the Rotavi's face now.

"Yes, Captain. Most species in our quadrant are uncomfortable with Rotavi customs, so we make it a point to conduct our activities privately."

"I'll need to discuss ground rules with you after this meeting is finished, but I only have one more question for now. How do you decide which partners are suitable for a Rotavi child?"

"The criteria we judge partners by for children between the ages of eight and eleven are quite simple, but also severe. Each partner must be willing to put the Rotavi's well-being above their desires, cherish her, love her, protect her, and obey her wishes when engaged in intimate activities. We possess the ability to probe a potential partner's memories regarding past intimacy. If any memories were to suggest that the Rotavi was at risk, the partner would be rejected. That being said, I have a concern that needs to be addressed as well."

"What is it, Commander?"

"Any species immune to telepathic probing is automatically rejected as a potential partner. Commander Takuln is a member of one of those species." Domika stated as she directed a cold gaze at an individual behind her.

     The being seemed to evoke concern immediately. His bald scalp was cratered in the middle, which seemed to attract more attention then the pointed ears or beady black eyes. His back was elongated by a thick black shell that couldn't be entirely covered by his uniform, likely explaining why he didn't stand upright. If he was, Deanna suspected he'd easily be close to two meters tall.

"Commander Talorn Takuln, you're a Mutorian, correct." Deanna asked as the Rotavi child hid behind him now.

5

"Yes, I am Mutorian, Captain."

"As I understand, the Mutorians are well-known smugglers in this quadrant. Is this true?"

"I'm afraid it is." Talorn answered slowly.

"That's not something I can ignore. Commander Domika has a right to be concerned and even suspicious of you parenting a Rotavi child. As a parent, the bond you would need to form with your Rotavi children would be more intimate than the bond they form with their partners."

"You're not sure I can be trusted because as a parent, I've bypassed Rotavi law and could take advantage of my children knowing that. With a reputation as hardened criminals, we've learned to think like those who discriminate us, Captain. I'm not sure how I can gain your trust, or Commander Domika's for that matter." The Mutorian scoffed.

"Perhaps a more respected role model is needed to make this decision." Deanna suggested as she glanced at Giltora.

"Me, Captain? What makes you think I have the authority to make this decision?" Lieutenant Aloris asked in surprise.

"When we met in sickbay, Taluni said that your fellow captives looked up to you as a parental figure."

"Yes, but there weren't any Rotavi captives on my ship. How could they possibly feel the same way if we're just now meeting?"

"You also admitted to killing a Venomite to protect my daughter, did you not?" Deanna reminded the Zenarian.

"Yes." Giltora answered quietly.

"Commander Domika, I can't force you to trust anyone and I don't condone murder. However; if you believe capitol punishment is necessary to uphold Rotavi justice, I recommend that Lieutenant Aloris makes this decision on the grounds that Commander Takuln was one of her fellow captives and she is respected by her crew."

     Commander Domika stared at Giltora, looking for any signs of guilt. She did indeed find guilt, but not the guilt associated with deception. The Rotavi nodded silently, showing the Zenarian that she had her respect and trust now. Domika turned to face Deanna now.

"I will allow Lieutenant Aloris to rule on behalf of the Rotavi concerning this situation." Domika finally agreed.

"Good. Giltora, what are your feelings about Commander Takuln as a parent?" Deanna asked.

"The Mutorians are a species that are not to be trusted. They explore space to exploit the weaknesses of other species when they can profit from it. They also do business with the Venomites and are responsible for delivering over half of the captives you rescued, Captain. However; Talorn Takuln was also a slave who suffered like me." Giltora said before pausing.

"Why? How does this affect your decision?" Domika asked suspiciously.

"Talorn is responsible for protecting me from the brutality of the Venomites." The Lunarian girl said suddenly.

"You were protected by a Mutorian? What did he expect in return?" Domika asked.

"Nothing. I was brought on that ship when I was one. I had nothing to hide my exposure as the Venomites stared at my bareness until this Mutorian broke three layers off of his shell to craft clothing for me. His pain was horrible, but after a day of fearing my own nakedness, he had built me a suit of Mutorian armor to cover myself in. I owe this man my life." The Lunarian smiled as a tear streamed down her face.

"I served the Venomites for five years, Captain. Commander Takuln has served for three years. The Venomites haven't forgiven him since he gave Elorana that armor." Giltora added.

"Why not? If his shell is like the skin on my body, shouldn't it have died when he removed it?" Deanna asked.

"Yes, but the Lunarians telepathic abilities become stronger as they get older. Her telepathic abilities managed to revive the Mutorian DNA in the shell." Julora said.

6

"And the armor couldn't be removed unless Elorana stopped using her telepathy." Deanna said with surprise.

"I shouldn't have had any telepathic abilities until I turned three." Elorana, the Lunarian girl said.

"How was Commander Takuln punished for his actions?" Deanna asked.

"He was forced to watch my sister suffer every day. When Elorana's telepathy made the armor irremovable, they suspected that the Dajoni might be able to make them more powerful than they ever thought possible." Julora answered as she suppressed a sob.

"Why were you captured, Talorn?" Giltora asked suddenly.

"After three years, you still don't know?" Talorn replied bluntly, unprepared for the question.

"No. I asked everyone, but no one knew." Giltora said softly.

"The Mutorians use a network of spatial gateways to travel through the quadrant. To avoid getting caught, we only send one Mutorian for each smuggling operation we take. If an operation produces a regular customer, we send the same smuggler to promote a sense of professionalism when conducting business. That being said, I spent two years chasing the smuggler that delivered your group. When I found him, I waited for him to complete his delivery. Then, I destroyed his ship and his escape pod."

"Talorn, your species doesn't have warp drive. How did you manage to destroy another ship before getting captured?" Deanna asked.

"I used a jamming device that disabled the Venomite ship for seventy-two seconds. By the time the smuggler knew what hit him, he was dead."

"Talorn, didn't you say when an operation is terminated, the Mutorians never take it again?" Giltora asked uneasily.

"I did. After three years, the Mutorians have had no contact with the vessel you rescued us from, Captain."

"Domika, this is Giltora's decision now, but I think Commander Takuln has proven himself as a person who can be trusted." Deanna murmured as she stared at the Mutorian with new respect now.

     Odo turned around as Deanna walked into his office. The Changeling's keen sense of observation made him aware of the fact that something was troubling his Captain. She sat down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk and let her head fall onto her arms now. Odo had sat down when she looked up again.

"Can I help you with something, Captain?" Odo asked with his usual, direct approach.

"I don't know, Constable. Commanders Domika and Takuln seem to have worked out their differences, but I can't say the same for the rest of the Rotavi and Mutorians. I just left that classroom thirty minutes ago and there are already rumors of hostility between the two species."

"Is that really so surprising, considering the Rotavi's intimate dependency and the Mutorian's nature to exploit that weakness?" Odo asked bluntly.

"I suppose not. I just didn't expect things to spiral out of control so quickly. How do I regain control, Odo?"

"Usually, I just speak my mind at this point, but I owe you more respect than that."

"You may be rude and blunt, but I know better than to accuse you of being inconsiderate."

"As you wish, Captain. My job is to ensure the safety and security of your crew. That being said, if it's a hate crime you fear, you should try to convince the Rotavi and Mutorians that they have a common goal worth living for before they start killing each other."

"That seems obvious, but where do I start?"

"Captain, I doubt that I would make a good counselor, but as an investigator, we both share the need for observation." Odo pointed out.

7

"I can appreciate  _that_ observation, Odo, but I don't think it'll be as easy to find a helpful connection between the Rotavi and Mutorians."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Captain. For a time, Gul Dukat connected with the Bajoran people at a spiritual level. In spite of the fact that he killed millions of their people during the Cardassian Occupation, the Bajoran people welcomed him with open hands when he joined the Pa Wraith cult."

"You're suggesting that I look for spiritual connections?" Deanna asked, intrigued by Odo's statement.

"Possibly. My people are connected by the Great Link. Right now, the evidence we have suggests that the species in this quadrant were created by the Omega molecule, which is all that remains of an ancient and highly intelligent species. Isn't it possible that these species have a similar link?"

"Let's say that it is. What would this new evidence suggest, Constable?"

"We know that the Rotavi's religion is centered around the act of procreation. If the Mutorians have religious beliefs as well, they would be based on the same facts, just interpreted differently."

"And if the religions are based on the same truths, there may be a way to find something they both believe in."

"Exactly."

"You may not have made a  _good_ counselor, Constable, but you'd certainly get straight to the point. Thank you, Odo." Deanna smiled as she stood up and walked out of his office.

"I always do, Captain." Odo chuckled with amusement.

"Troi to Hoshi." Deanna said as she stepped into a turbolift.

"Hoshi here."

"How much do you have on the Mutorians?"

"Archive files on the Mutorians are at forty-three percent. Beyond their physiology, we don't have much data on them."

"Did you find anything that may suggest they have religious beliefs?"

"I may have found more than that, Captain. According to the Votarin data file Chief O'Brien just recovered, the Mutorians were capable of warp drive."

"Meet me in my ready room." Deanna tapped her combadge again, "Troi to Takuln."

"Takuln here, what can I do for you, Captain?"

"Meet me in my ready room. My com officer has some information that may interest you."

"I'll be there, Captain. Takuln out."

     Deanna and Hoshi were already sitting at the Captain's desk When Talorn walked in. All three of his daughters were with him, barely dressed and oblivious to anyone except their adoptive father. Hoshi shot Talorn a look of disapproval as he sat down next to her.

"I apologize, Captain Troi, Lieutenant; it's been four days since their needs have been met. The Doctor has managed to slow the progression of their psychosis, but I've had to take extra precautions recently."

"I would have thought you'd jump at the chance to control your children like that, Commander." Hoshi scowled.

"Lieutenant, you're out of line. He's a member of my senior crew and a guest to the Federation." Deanna warned.

"Thank you, Captain, but her reaction isn't unexpected. In fact, almost every crew member I've seen has reacted the same way." Talorn said uncomfortably.

"That's understandable but it's also unacceptable. We're not going to survive if we can't learn to trust each other. That's the reason why I asked you here. What have you discovered, Hoshi?" Deanna said as she glanced at Hoshi now.

8

"According to new data in the Votarin archives, the Mutorians were victims of a biochemical attack launched by the Venomites over two centuries ago. At the time, the Votarin fleet was traveling to the opposite side of the quadrant for their yearly mating ritual with the Vistarn. According to sensor data taken by several Votarin ships, the Mutorians were preparing to test a warp ship." Hoshi said as she glanced at Talorn.

"Is this true, Commander?" Deanna asked calmly.

"It's quite likely, but I can't say with certainty, Captain." Talorn answered with discomfort.

"If you're not certain, why do you believe it?" Deanna asked, curious now.

"Our devious nature isn't the result of natural evolution, but devolution, instead. That biochemical attack is said to have set back my species' evolutionary process by two centuries. The Mutorians you see today represent my species two hundred years ago. Unlike two hundred years ago, however; the Venomites have poisoned our minds with greed. If it weren't for the Venomites, we would be a peaceful species with warp capability and the Rotavi would likely be our allies, not our enemies." Talorn replied with a sad smile now.

"How can you be sure, Commander?" Hoshi asked with a hint of doubt.

"There are very few of my people that feel the same way I do about our future, but those who do have shown signs of intelligence that easily surpass their smuggler counterparts. One group in particular has been working with the Fichuma to design a ship capable of warp travel. When I last spoke to them, they said they were over a decade away from being able to test it, but they were confident that we would live to see the day when we surpassed our former glory."

"I hope that we're all there to see that day, Commander. It could prove to be a day of great celebration and unexpected unification among your people." Deanna said with confidence.

"I'd like to share your enthusiasm as well, Captain." Talorn agreed.

"In the meantime, it's come to my attention that the Rotavi are displeased with Commander Domika's decision to let you keep your Rotavi children. There are rumors of possible retaliation against the Mutorians as a result of her decision."

"I'm afraid it's already begun, Captain. One of my fellow Mutorians reported to sickbay after being poisoned by a Rotavi chef twenty minutes ago."

"Is he going to be alright?" Deanna asked, alarmed by the statement.

"Thankfully, Mutorian physiology is immune to most poisons, so it wasn't fatal. The Doctor said it would be forty-eight days until he could return to duty, however."

"Talorn, this is why I need you. I need your help in discovering a way to connect the two species and end the hatred. This ship can't function without a crew and the crew can't function without cooperation."

"You have my full cooperation, Captain. How can I help you?"

"My Chief of Security has suggested that we might be able to find some kind of spiritual connection between the two species. Is there any truth to that?"

"Actually, I'd be surprised if there wasn't, Captain." Hoshi said suddenly.

"How so, Lieutenant?" Talorn asked suspiciously.

"According to those scans the Votarin fleet took, the pilot on the Mutorian warp vessel registered as female." Hoshi answered slowly.

"Lieutenant, what was the casualty report on that attack?"

"Forty percent of the Mutorian population was wiped out instantly." Hoshi reported as she looked at the pad she was holding.

"Commander Takuln and Lieutenant Sato, I believe we may have found the answer we're looking for. Work together to figure out what Mutorian culture was like before the attack and we may just pull this off. Dismissed."

9

_Captain's personal log, stardate 50346.19: Ensign Thulozi has made a full recovery from the Rotavi attack that left him in sickbay for two days. There have been no further incidents since then, but the tension levels continue to rise as Rotavi hatred toward the Mutorians intensifies. I have my senior crew working to find a commonality between the two species, but I fear it may only be a matter of time before this hatred claims its first fatality. In the meantime, I've begun the awkward process of counseling the more intimate members of my crew._

Deanna glanced around as the holodeck she stood in continued to shimmer. Slight changes were being made as she sat in a chair that resembled a large mushroom. The forest environment around her continued to become more lively as Chief O'Brien programmed the data he read off of a pad. Deanna smiled as Miles carefully avoided glancing in her general direction.

"Chief, it's not like you've never seen me naked before. You're not afraid of losing control, are you?" Deanna asked innocently.

"Permission to speak freely, sir." O'Brien requested uncomfortably.

"Only if you make eye contact with me, Lieutenant O'Brien." Deanna grinned now.

     Miles reluctantly faced her before saying, "Captain Riker told me a lot of things about you that he probably shouldn't have. We'd get together with Worf to play those traditional games of poker we used to enjoy on board the  _Enterprise_. We'd also reminisce about our adventures as young officers. Worf didn't talk much about his past, growing up with humans. My earlier years dealt a lot with the Cardassians, so I didn't reminisce much either. Captain Riker seems to have spent a lot of time romancing during his early years as an officer."

"And most of his romancing was spent with me. There are some things about men that never change." Deanna chuckled as the Chief briefly glanced down.

"He described you as having a mean streak, Captain. You were more than just...sexual; he seemed to suggest that other species' discomfort around you was something of a curiosity and turned into an experiment for you."

"I see. Now that K'Mara has reduced my age, you're concerned that I've reverted back to an earlier, less mature personality." Deanna suggested calmly.

"I wouldn't question your ability as my captain, but this isn't the Deanna Troi I remember serving with when I was operating transporters under Captain Picard."

"In a lot of ways, I'm not the same woman you served with previously. The unique properties of the Omega molecules in this quadrant have changed me in ways that I haven't even begun to understand. I am still fully aware of who and what I am however. It's not my intention to gain pleasure from your discomfort." Deanna said, acknowledging O'Brien's concern.

"Well, that's a minor comfort, I suppose." Chief O'Brien frowned.

"You're afraid of shaming Keiko by seeing me like this?" Deanna asked.

"No, Captain, I'm afraid of being  _killed_ by Keiko for seeing you like this. For all I know, Molly may end up helping her." Miles chuckled as his cheeks turned red now.

"You're a good man, Miles O'Brien. I doubt you'll ever shame Keiko during this voyage, or at any other point in your life." Deanna said warmly.

"Thank you, Captain."

"I may be a different woman now, but you're still one of my best friends. How long until you finish the program?"

"There are still a few minor details that need to be altered, but this should be a fairly accurate representation of what the library archives have on file. Besides, you're guests should be here any moment and if it's all the same to you, Captain, I prefer not to become the main source of a feeding frenzy." Chief O'Brien said with a smirk.

"I see your point. Thank you for your help. Dismissed." Deanna grinned.

     Chief O'Brien quickly exited the holodeck. Less than two minutes later, three women entered the room. They were surprised to see their captain lounging naked on her mushroom chair. The women stared in silence as she sat up.

10

"I assure you, this isn't how I typically spend my time." Deanna smiled as she glanced at the women.

"I would hope not, Captain." Commander Domika said nervously.

"Women, please disrobe." Deanna said as she stood up from her chair.

     The women slowly did as they were told. Deanna sensed an intimidating shift in the women's emotional auras as they undressed. She began to regret making the request, but as a Betazoid, she knew it was the most direct approach to dealing with the increasing tension that threatened to tear her crew apart.

     Deanna stared at the women now. She knew Commander Domika was a Rotavi, a species that easily surpassed the intimacy of Betazoid sexuality. The Rotavi seemed to blush now as she realized that she was being examined.

     The Betazoid shifted her gaze toward the second woman, a Tulikon. Aside from the vines, pointed ears, luminescent cheeks, and red skin, she appeared human. The red skin identified her as a summer subspecies.

     Deanna finally gazed at the Lunarian woman now. If it weren't for the transparent wings protruding from her back, she would have passed as human. The Lunarian seemed to have difficulty breathing now as she locked eyes with her captain.

"Captain, do you seek intimacy with us?" Commander Domika asked suddenly.

"No. Please be seated." Deanna replied, gesturing towards the empty chairs behind them.

     Deanna watched each woman closely as they sat down. The Lunarian nervously chose a posture of privacy, suggesting discomfort and possibly fear. The Tulikon also chose a similar pose. Deanna was surprised as Commander Domika sat comfortably now, expressing no inward or outward signs of insecurity. She noticed Deanna's look of amusement.

"I may have the appearance of a child, Captain, but after eighty-two years, you'll find that it's difficult to shame a Rotavi." Domika said with a trace of sorrow as she smiled.

"I see that now. Exposing yourself like this may be as normal as breathing for a Rotavi, but I suspect that the same can't be said for you two." Deanna said as she glanced at the other two women.

"No, Captain. The Tulikon only mate once every year in their natural environment. Unless engaging in our mating ritual, fellow Tulikon do not view each other like this."

"I imagine that changed after being captured by the Venomites, Lieutenant Valitta."

"Yes, Captian. Our species have since divided into two different belief systems. Mine finds comfort in exposing themselves to fellow Tulikon, but not outsiders."

"What about you, Lieutenant Myuro? You seem both excited and frightened by your exposure right now." Deanna asked as she faced the Lunarian.

"The first thing you must understand is that I'm the oldest Lunarian on this ship, Captain." Lieutenant Myuro said awkwardly.

"Yes, I believe you're ten years old, correct?"

"Yes. For every year you age, my species ages by five years. Your doctor has told me that your adjustment phase into adulthood only lasts for about twelve years."

"Yes. We call it puberty." Deanna said, confused now by the Lunarian's statement.

"Lunarian puberty doesn't end until our fifteenth year." Lieutenant Myuro said as she began to shake.

"I don't understand, Faluna. Don't the Lunarians only live for fifteen years?" Deanna asked as she sensed a massive spike in the woman's aura.

"Yes, Captain. We spend our whole lives in puberty. But when a Lunarian woman turns ten, her sex drive reaches it's climax." Faluna struggled to explain.

"My people go through a similar process when we enter our mid-age. Our sex drive increases by a factor of four. I can sense all of the energy that's building within you, Faluna. Are you alright?" Deanna asked out of concern.

"Captain, Lunarians become sexually active at the age of three. However, by the time they're ten, the sex drive of a Lunarian woman has increased by a factor of thirty." Commander Domika explained.

11

"What?! Is this true, Faluna?" Deanna asked as she became overwhelmed by shock.

     The Lunarian nodded violently as she could no longer speak. She clutched herself as she continued to shake.

"How long does this last?" Deanna asked as she stared at Domika.

"This phase lasts for two years, then the sex drive shuts down. According to Lieutenant Sato, the Lunarian life cycle is much like Earth's butterfly. As they near the end of their lives, the Lunarian's instinct to procreate almost completely takes over their lives. The week-long mating ritual now lasts for a month. Between the ages of eight and eleven, the average Lunarian woman has one hundred and fifty children." Domika stated as Deanna stared at Faluna in horror now.

"Why didn't you mention this sooner, Faluna?" Deanna asked as she stood up.

"Embarrassed. Lunarians...killed when they...turn ten!"

"Why?"

"Population control, Captain. Eventually, the Venomite ships wouldn't be able to hold all the Lunarian children." Commander Domika answered as Faluna began to sob.

"Rather than kill hundreds of children every month, they kill the women." Deanna murmured.

"Exactly." Lieutenant Valitta said as she helped Faluna stand up.

"Doctor, we have a medical emergency in holodeck one."

"Understood."

     The Doctor's program was projected near the holodeck exit. His mouth dropped open briefly before he managed to regain his professionalism. He stood next to the Lunarian as he scanned her with his medical tricorder. He suddenly looked up at her before turning to face the Captain.

"Her estrogen count is thirty times higher than most of the Lunarians I've examined! I'd ask what you were all doing here, but my patient comes first. I will require your presence, in uniform, when you're available, Captain." The Doctor said as Lieutenants Myuro and Valitta finished getting dressed.

     After another moment, the Doctor left the holodeck with the Lunarian and Tulikon women. Only Deanna and Domika remained now. Deanna sat down next to Domika as they locked gazes.

"Do you understand why I've brought you here now?" Deanna asked after a long silence.

"I suspect that you're unaccustomed to our intense sexual natures, Captain." Domika answered.

"Yes, and to be honest with you, that disturbs me. I have serious doubts that a crew could function with sexual tension being this high."

"I agree, Captain. That's why we were captured. It serveed the Venomite's desires by exploiting species like the Lunarians and Rotavi."

"You're not slaves anymore, Commander. You're members of a Starfleet crew that's trying to return home. You do want to return home, don't you?" Deanna asked, surprised as she sensed amusement.

"Return? I think you've made a mistake, Captain. I want to  _go_ home, yes. I can't return home because I've never set foot on my home world." The Rotavi chuckled.

"You've never been on your home world after eighty-two years?"

"You don't understand, Captain. Your species was born on a planet called...Betazed, yes?"

"Yes. Where were the Rotavi born?"

"We were born on Parasul, the Venomite home world. There are many who believe we were never even born; many species say we were created in Venomite laboratories where we were genetically programmed until we became what you see today."

12

"Do you believe that, Domika?"

     Domika considered the question before replying, "Captain, I was born eighty-two years ago on a Venomite slave ship. I've kept the same appearance for almost sixty-five years. Until Commander Nalmok freed me, I had never left that ship. Although I accept that my people may have been free once, it's easier to believe we're the result of Venomite cruelty after six billion years of slavery."

"What about the Rotavi on your home world? They're not slaves, are they?"

"If there's anything I've learned in the last eighty-two years, Captain, it's that we're all slaves in some manner." Domika scowled as she leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes.

     After Deanna had gotten dressed, she left the holodeck. Domika's last statement seemed to haunt her as she made her way to sickbay. She tried to ignore the truth behind the Rotavi's words, but the reality of her situation only reinforced the fact.

     When she entered sickbay, she was surprised to see a large group of Lunarians standing outside of the research lab. As she approached the lab, it became clear that every Lunarian was in sickbay. Deanna struggled to suppress her telepathic senses as she was overwhelmed by a variety of different emotions. She let out a sigh of relief as she stepped into the lab, alerting the Doctor to her presence.

"I'm glad to see you back in uniform, Captain. Now if you don't mind me asking, what exactly was going on when I entered that holodeck?"

"It was an unorthodox approach to our new problem. I've found that many species view their sexuality as being awkward and embarrassing unless practiced discreetly. In spite of their prolonged captivity, I felt that a more direct approach was needed for the species that embrace their sexuality."

"You felt that as a Betazoid, you could better relate to them and perhaps explain how such public displays of sexuality was a danger to your crew." The Doctor said observantly.

"Exactly."

"Well, I commend you for your creative approach, unfortunately selecting the oldest Lunarian may have been a mistake. After examining Lieutenant Myuro's vitals and cross-referencing them to the Lunarian archive files, I was able to confirm Commander Domika's statement regarding Lunarian puberty. I highly doubt Lieutenant Myuro will be on active duty for the next two years."

"Are you certain, Doctor? You've also confirmed her reproductive ability?"

"I'm afraid so. I would be quite surprised if she had less than a dozen children within the first four months."

"Doctor, the  _Convergence_ isn't large enough to hold that many passengers. Chief O'Brien said this ship was only intended to have a maximum of four hundred passengers. The Lunarian reproductive system would easily put us in the thousands, possibly tens of thousands."

"No, Captain. If we don't get home in the next decade, the Lunarian count will be in the hundreds of thousands. After another two years, it'll be in the millions."

"My god!" Deanna said as she stared down at Faluna.

"With our current warp capabilities, it will take almost six years to get there. By then, our population will have already increased to at least five thousand. Even with an Omega molecule as our fuel source though, I doubt we could sustain even a fifth of that population." The Doctor said with concern.

"What do you suggest we do about this, Doctor? We can't start using population control by denying their rights or euthanizing their unborn children." Deanna said as her mind began to race with more questions than she had answers to.

"Captain, I believe this is the time to start seeking out those alliances you spoke of earlier. We agreed that one ship couldn't survive alone traveling through the Zeta Quadrant. We certainly can't accommodate the Lunarians with one ship either." The Doctor suggested now.

"You feel that I should reach out to the Votarins?"

13

"They're the only species in our vicinity that would consider helping us. The data we have on Votarin ships suggests that they could reach Lunarian space in eleven days. As far as we can tell, they hold no hostility towards the Federation at this time."

"I was never comfortable with the idea of forming an alliance in this quadrant, but I knew we would face a situation we couldn't handle alone eventually. I just didn't expect it to be this soon."

"Although Captain Janeway waited quite some time before attempting to form an alliance, she actively searched for species in the Delta Quadrant that could help shorten our voyage home. Your actions may be questionable, Captain, but when we consider the fact that your first duty is to the safety of your crew, I believe such alliances are in their best interest."

"How so, Doctor? I've been warned by Seven that such an alliance would likely start a war. Wars don't keep people safe." Deanna said coldly.

"Perhaps not, but considering that your crew and passengers are native to this quadrant, these alliances could help get them home faster. Certainly you don't plan on taking all these people back to the Alpha Quadrant with us, do you?"

"No, they belong here. At what point does the cost of freedom become too high though, Doctor? How many of them have to die before we realize that we've failed?" Deanna asked.

"Forgive me, Captain, but I feel obliged to point out that most of the crew have already died countless times at the hands of the Venomites, including Seven. If they die here, they only die once."

     Deanna was unprepared for the Doctor's statement, causing her to suddenly stare down at the floor. She began to weigh the benefits of an alliance against the risks of war now. In any other instance, the danger would be too great; but if her crew had the chance to live and die in peace, was it worth the risk?

"I have a fair idea as to what you're thinking right now. I can tell you that as a Doctor, I took an oath to do no harm; I'm obligated to help my patients in any way that I can. With that in mind, let's look at your decision from a medical standpoint. If you form this alliance, you offer them a chance to live and die in peace, but they risk becoming casualties of war. If you avoid this alliance, they'll be safer here but the risk of becoming victims of endless suffering again is far higher. As a physician, I can say that the cost of surrender is far greater than the cost of freedom for these people, Captain."

"Your argument is quite convincing, Doctor. I think I'd reach the same conclusion as a physician, or even a counselor; but I'm a captain now. Can a captain live with knowing that people have died because of their actions?"

"Only you can decide that, Captain. Let me ask you though, can you live with knowing that a lack of action may deny them a proper death?"

"Thank you, Doctor. I know what needs to be done now." Deanna said as she looked up at him.

"Of course, Captain."

     Deanna tapped her combadge as she stepped out of sickbay.

"Deanna to Hoshi."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Hoshi, work with Commander Hansen to boost the range of our communications system."

"Do you intend to contact the Votarins, sir?" Hoshi asked.

"Yes. It's a matter of urgency."

"We'll get started right away."

14

"Good. Deanna out."

 _Captain's log, Supplemental: Now that I've been fully made aware of my crew's situation concerning intimacy and procreation, it has become clear to me that the_ Convergence _isn't large enough to accommodate the spiritual practices of these unique species, which will eventually lead to the birth of countless families. For that reason, I've ordered my crew to get a message out to the Votarins; they are my only hope of respecting Lunarian customs without endangering my crew. We've been trying to boost our communications signal for eight hours and it seems it may have finally worked._

"Captain, we've got the Votarins. They're responding to our hail." Hoshi said.

"Put them on screen." Deanna said as she stood up from her chair anxiously.

     The screen displayed a large tank of water now with a figure floating in the center. As Deanna studied the Votarin, she became aware that he was telepathically probing her. She smiled as she projected herself back at him.

     He took on a mermaid-like appearance with the tail and fins of a shark. His face was human enough; dark green eyes, a narrow nose, long green lips, and a flat chin. He had no hair and gills on the side of his head instead of ears, which probably explained the telepathic encounter Deanna had with him. His muscular upper torso suggested that his species was a warrior race.

"My apologies, Captain Troi. It was necessary to probe your thoughts to identify your language." The Votarin said sincerely.

"I understand, Captain Lorrathi, but what you just did is considered a violation by many of the species from my region of space." Deanna replied.

"I hope I haven't offended you."

"I wasn't prepared, but no harm was done. All is forgiven." Deanna smiled.

"What can I do for you, Captain Troi?"

"Captain Lorrathi, are you aware of my situation?"

"An Apoxisha ship filed a report through emergency channels not long ago. According to the report, a ship matching your description took part in a rescue mission involving a Venomite slave ship. Against the crew's wishes, there was an exchange of passengers after their commander ruled in favor of a former Borg drone's custody of children from the slave ship."

"That is correct. However, it's come to our attention that we don't have the resources to accommodate the spiritual beliefs concerning procreation." Deanna said awkwardly.

"Are you referring to the Tulikon and Rotavi, Captain Troi?" Lorrathi asked.

"No. I wasn't prepared for their unique cultures, but I believe my crew can adjust to their lifestyles over time. My concern is with the Lunarians, Captain Lorrathi. One of the Lunarian women turned ten last week."

"Ama'Lron. It's Lunarian for 'Birth Harvest'. During the last two years of their breeding cycle, the Lunarian population surges."

"Yes. Unfortunately, that's why I'm requesting the Votarin's assistance. The  _Convergence_ can't hold that many passengers. We'd run out of space and power before we even cleared Votarin space."

"Your ship is the  _RSS_ _Convergence_ , Captain Troi?" Lorrathi asked.

"Yes. Is that important?"

"Captain Troi, I helped build that ship with fifteen others. That ship is our weapon against the injustices that the Zeta Quadrant have suffered for so long now."

"Captain Lorrathi, are you telling me that the ship I'm trying to get home on is a warship?" Deanna asked as her eyes narrowed.

15

"Essentially, yes. However, the point of building that ship was never to start a war; but rather to end a war that has lasted for eternity."

"Captain Lorrathi," Deanna said as she stood up, "I believe we have a few things that need to be discussed."

"We certainly do, Captain Troi."

     After four hours of waiting, a Votarin ship had arrived to meet the  _Convergence._ It took another thirty minutes to go through diplomatic procedures and then an hour to convince Captain Lorrathi that Deanna's crew could be trusted before the Votarins agreed to transport Lieutenants Myuro and L'Phani back to their home world. Deanna, Hoshi, Odo, and K'Mara were sitting at a tall oval table on the Votarin ship as they met with Captain Lorrathi. Five other representatives were seated at the table as well.

"I apologize for the delayed response to your request, Captain Troi, but when I saw your passenger manifest, I became somewhat alarmed. A Ulitozian, a Prodation, a group of Mutorians, and a former Borg drone aren't easily trusted by my allies." Captain Lorrathi explained.

"I take it these are your allies, Captain Lorrathi." Odo stated bluntly.

"Yes, Constable. We have been attempting to recreate your Federation as an alliance against the threat of war, but we haven't found a capable captain for your ship until now." Lorrathi answered uncomfortably.

"Why not?" Deanna asked.

"We've been so busy trying to defend our borders that launching an offensive has been impossible. The construction of your ship has cost us many lives." Nalmok, the Apoxisha woman replied.

"Commander, it's good to see your people still value your services." Deanna smiled, grateful to see a familiar face.

"It's a political decision, really. The Apoxisha Government elected me as their representative because they need this alliance to survive. It may be quite some time before I'm welcomed home again." Nalmok smiled sadly.

"Which is why I've invited you all here. With the presence of Captain Troi and her crew, we have the chance to defend not just ourselves, but each other now. You are all inferior to the Venomites in some manner and they have used that to their advantage. Our lack of numbers has prevented my people from aiding your people, but no longer. Upon receiving Captain Troi's message, the Votarins and Apoxisha have forged an alliance and deployed a battle fleet to Apox Prime. The Apoxisha have also deployed a fleet to meet us, where we will begin construction of the first URP shipyard." Lorrathi explained, floating calmly in a tank located at the head of the table, opposite to Deanna.

"You expect us to form this alliance because you're building one shipyard?" The Clibodian representative spoke up.

"No, Captain Lojar, I expect you to join this alliance because your species is the only one capable of mounting a defensive against a Venomite invasion should the attack our shipyard." Nalmok answered.

"You have to admit that the Venomites will likely invade Clibodian space before attacking that shipyard. If they place a base of operations next to the Apoxisha border, reinforcements would be able to overwhelm both fleets before the shipyard was completed." Odo pointed out.

"How would you know what the Venomites plan to do?" The Clibodian spat.

"Because I'm a Changeling and if you've witnessed a Jem'Hadar invasion you can thank my people for their similarities to the Venomites."

"A Founder! They're a deceptive race, cleverly hiding their lies within simple truths. Why should we trust Captain Troi if she chooses to keep friends like him?" An Alanuma shouted as he jumped out of his chair with outrage.

"Because, Tykoris, he despises their methods as much as we do." An elderly Lunarian woman answered calmly as she closed her eyes.

16

     At that moment, silence filled the room as a wave of intense emotion struck everyone. Deanna identified it as friendship, overwhelmed by the presence that she detected as she attempted to regain control of her senses. Even Lorrathi seemed to be in a trance now as he floated in his tank. The wave of friendship passed sudenly, allowing everyone to regain their composure.

"Incredible!" Deanna murmured.

"Forgive me, Captain Troi, but my telepathic projections have proven more difficult to control in my advanced years." The Lunarian smiled with an apologetic bow.

"Yes, Kyla Akima is considered to be...one of the wisest among many species, including...the Varsharda. At the age of twenty-two, there's much she could teach all of us." Lorrathi said with difficulty.

"I thought the Lunarians only lived to be fifteen?!" K'Mara gasped.

"The Varsharda have much to offer us, young one. All they ask is that we open our hearts and minds." Kyla chuckled softly.

"Indeed. Though our heritage may be buried by the passage of time, the Fichuma owe our existence to the Varsharda." The fish-like alien stated calmly.

"As do the Votarins, Rudaven. Well, now that the introductions are finished, shall we return to the matter at hand?" Lorrathi suggested.

"Let's say for the sake of argument that I convince the Clibodians to join this alliance. What then? We both know our other allies here aren't capable of defending themselves. How do you expect us to protect them while protecting ourselves?" Captain Lojar asked with doubt.

"That may not be as difficult as it sounds, Captain Lojar. In addition to the fact that the  _RSS Convergence_ will be passing through each of our sectors over the next sixteen years, it has been brought to our attention that the Votarin military and Apoxisha Crime Prevention Fleet are patrolling many of the same regions of the quadrant. You're not as alone as you may think." Nalmok said with a grin.

"You've been patrolling our territory, Nalmok? I demand to know the location of your ships." Tykoris said as he glared at the Apoxisha.

"Well, that's an interesting issue to bring up." Captain Troi said with a look of amusement as she faced Tykoris.

"There's nothing interesting about my territory being invaded! Tell me what I want to know."

"I understand your distrust of us, Tykoris, but if you were to join this alliance, we wouldn't have to take such an aggressive approach. As an ally, your people would be kept informed of all activity in Alanuma space." Hoshi said now.

"What's the catch?" Tykoris said as his eyes narrowed now.

"Well, if it's the same Federation I helped create three hundred years ago, there shouldn't be any catch. If you join us, the Alanuma can help us defend the Zeta Quadrant against the Venomites. If you don't, I imagine we'd live the Alanuma alone, right?" Hoshi asked as she faced her captain.

"Yes, Lieutenant Sato. However, there is another matter we could help you with when we entered Alanuma territory." Deanna nodded before frowning.

"What might that be, Captain Troi?" Tykoris asked as his emotional aura became more neutral now.

"As we continue to recover our data files on the Zeta Quadrant, we learn vital details about the species we've volunteered to protect. In regards to the Alanuma, we know you've been driven off your home world by the Prodations." Hoshi said uncomfortably.

"Are you spying on us as well, Talmok?"

"No, Tykoris. When the  _Convergence_ was built, the collective knowledge of each species involved in the project became an archive to help strengthen the alliance." Talmok answered.

"And how would you help us, Captain Troi? Do you intend to use the  _Convergence_ to take our home back by force?"

17

"That's not how our alliance works, Tykoris. We don't resort to violence unless it becomes absolutely necessary."

Then what do you hope to accomplish?" Tykoris snorted.

"The same thing that brought us together, Tykoris. Peace." K'Mara answered bluntly; Odo smirked as Tykoris glanced down at the table.

"What would a child know about civil war?" Tykoris muttered.

"That child is a representative of this alliance, Tykoris." Lorrathi countered.

"Is this a joke? I child couldn't possibly understand the threat of war and the measures we take to prevent it!" Tykoris exclaimed.

"Actually, I do, Tykoris. When you spend your whole life on a ship full of monsters that strip you of any freedom you could possibly think of, you know war just as well as anyone, if not better." K'Mara snarled as Deanna grabbed her shoulder.

"I stand corrected. I would be honored to consider myself as your ally, K'Mara." Tykoris bowed after a long silence.

"K'Mara is but one victim of this atrocity. She wasn't the first and we all know she won't be the last. If you want this to end, we need to forge this alliance." Lorrathi said firmly.

"This alliance needs to be forged from trust and friendship, not hatred and anger. If our alliance isn't built with peace, we can never expect to achieve peace either." Deanna warned.

"Under the circumstances, I don't see how we have a choice." Captain Lojar sighed.

"This alliance will move forward, whether you join us or not, Erisho. We'd be far stronger with the Clibodians as our ally though." Lorrathi pointed out.

"So be it then." The Clibodian said before facing Deanna, "I, Captain Erisho Lojar, represent the Clibodian people when I say you have our allegiance, Captain Troi."

"I, Kyla Akima, offer the assistance of the Lunarian people as their faithful representative and your ally." The Lunarian woman said with conviction.

"Rudaven of the Fichuma represents his species as this alliance is forged here today." Rudaven stated calmly with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Then it is done. We have taken the first step towards uniting in the name of peace and freedom." Lorrathi said with a sigh of relief.

"I just have one question." Hoshi said suddenly.

"Yes, Lieutenant Sato?" Lorrathi asked as he glanced at her.

"What is the URP?"

"The United  _Resistance_  of Planets? I hope they plan on changing that name when the Resistance wins the war." Miles said as Deanna took the Captain's chair.

"I can't say I'm fond of the name either, Chief, but for the time, it's appropriate. Species like the Lunarians, Dajoni, and Rotavi shouldn't have to submit to the Venomites. They deserve to be free."

"What does the Prime Directive say about this situation?" T'Pol asked.

"Generally we don't interfere with civilizations that don't have warp drive. However, the council members all represent species that have warp drive. These species have formed deep bonds with the pre-warp species. The bond between the Lunarians and the Tulikon for instance could be considered a family bond. The bond between Apoxisha and Jutok is also a deep bond. If we form this alliance, the Prime Directive will need to be...altered, for lack of a better word." Deanna replied thoughtfully.

"An amendment?"

"That would be accurate, T'Pol."

"I recommend caution, Captain. The path you've chosen is a difficult one. As the founder of this alliance, you will possess a level of authority which allows you to take advantage of others." T'Pol warned.

18

"With all due respect, Commander, I wouldn't expect Captain Troi to accept this role if she couldn't handle it." Ezri spoke up as she glanced at her navigation console.

"I understand where you're all coming from, but I don't intend to lead this council alone. I'm still looking for one more ally to enforce the conduct of this alliance."

"You refer to the Bazuli, Captain?" Seven of Nine asked.

"Yes. Their code of justice may be somewhat rigid, but they may be able to provide the stability that I cannot."

"A logical choice, Captain, but I remain skeptical that you can make contact with them before reaching the conference on Votari Prime." Seven said with a frown.

"Which is why I asked the Votarins to contact them. Considering that they are technologically advanced and have a spotless criminal record, it shouldn't be difficult for them to request an audience with the Bazuli." Deanna replied.

"I hope you realize what their expectations are if you successfully forge an alliance with them." The Ulitozian chuckled, seated at the auxiliary tactical station.

     Like the Elzofa, the Ulitozian was human, for the most part. She appeared to be one point seven meters tall, forty-seven and a half kilos, and in her late thirties. She had short pale green hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin was a darker shade of green than her Elzofa counterparts. She also appeared more intimidating as well, but for good reason.

"Commander Sonell, I believe, yes?" Deanna asked calmly as she turned to face her.

"Yes, Captain." The Ulitozian answered with a hint of disgust.

"Most of my crew has shared concerns regarding your presence on this ship. There are some who feel you should be left behind when we depart the conference."

"I'm not surprised. My species isn't known for alliances or diplomatic relations. We take what we want and we defend what is ours." Sonell smirked.

"Commander, I'd like to chat with you in my ready room." Deanna said as she stood up from her chair.

     When the doors had closed, Deanna locked gazes with the Ulitozian. She could sense a great deal of pride and hatred from Sonell as she studied her. Sonell seemed to despise the idea of having to take orders from another species.

"Under normal circumstances, that would make you a prisoner rather than a senior bridge officer. However, according to the Elzofa children, you killed five Venomites with your bare hands before you allowed them to be captured. I don't condone murder, but that suggests you were acting on parental instincts. I'm guessing Ulitozians don't answer to anyone, except their family elders, perhaps."

"Is this an interrogation, Captain? If I don't answer to anyone, I certainly don't give up my secrets either."

"On this ship, I am your commanding officer. As my subordinate, I expect you to respect and obey me. I also expect you to respect your fellow crew mates. If you can't do that, I will have you removed from command and dismissed of your duties. Are we clear?" Deanna said with a glare.

"Perfectly, Captain. Permission to speak freely,  _Captain_." Sonell growled softly.

"Granted."

"My people are a race of warriors. We pride ourselves on our ability to survive and thrive through our unified strength. We were once allies to the Venomites and the Wyntolites, but they took advantage of us and we repelled them. Now they threaten to destroy everything we've struggled to achieve. After being a slave of my greatest enemy, do you expect me to welcome you, or any of my other crew mates for that matter?" Sonell asked with a tone of silent fury.

"No." Deanna answered softly as she turned to face her windows, staring at the specs of light that faded away in the distance.

"Then what do you expect from me?" Sonell asked, surprised by the Captain's calm response.

"Redemption."

"Excuse me, Captain?"

19

"That motherly figure that killed five Venomites is still in there, somewhere, Commander. I'm not asking you to kill again, but I need you to replace your warrior instincts with the parental instincts that allowed you to overcome your pride and arrogance when you protected those children." Deanna said as she turned to face Sonell again.

"I think you've misunderstood my species, Captain. I didn't discard my selfish warrior instincts when I defended those children. The warrior and the parent are one and the same among the Ulitozian people. We fight, and we steal, and at times, we even kill; but the common belief that children are sacred and should be spared the horrors of war is one that we share with our fellow captives."

"Then I commend you for respecting that aspect of war, where other species would not. I'd like to remind you that we are all children, from the day we're born until the day we die. Just because we grow older or more independent doesn't change the fact that we will always be children to our parents." Deanna said before approaching the bridge.

"Captain?"

"Yes, Commander Sonell?" Deanna asked, turning to face the Ulitozian again.

"I'd like to apologize for my actions so far, but I think we both know my stage of defiance will take time to get over." Sonell said, glancing down at the floor.

"Commander, I accept your apology. We have a name for what you're describing, Sonell. It's called recovery and it's often a long road. Commander Hansen spent many years adjusting to her life among humans after being saved from the Borg. I doubt your ability to trust the people around you will be any easier. The most important thing to remember is that your crew is more than just a group of people who work together; we're a family and as a family, we'll help each other in any way that we can. You just need to let us."

"Thank you, Captain. It may be some time before I'm comfortable seeking help, but I will perform my duties to the best of my ability."

"That's all I can ask of you." Deanna smiled.

"Report." Deanna said as she stepped back onto the bridge.

"Still on course for Votari Prime, travelling at warp nine point six. Nothing on sensors that would delay our arrival so far, Captain." Ezri replied.

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

     Seven of Nine smiled as she glanced at her newly adopted children after they had fallen asleep. She was still studying their customs, but she had learnt enough to bond with them. Seven was interrupted from beginning her regeneration cycle by a low chime. She was surprised to see Commander Sonell when the doors parted.

"Could I speak with you, Commander?" Sonell asked quietly.

"Please come in." Seven nodded as she stepped aside.

     The two women sat down on a couch. They stared at the window for some time. Sonell stood up and began pacing now as Seven watched. She suddenly turned to face Seven before speaking.

"Those should be my children!" Sonell exclaimed softly.

"I do not understand. If you believe my children belong to you, why did you know make an adoption request?" Seven asked.

"Because only a few of my fellow captives trusted me to care for their children. My request never would've been granted by the crew, Commander." Sonell scowled.

"I take it you are referring to the Elzofa children? They speak very highly of you." Seven pointed out.

"Yes, Commander."

"Please, call me Annika. As we are of equal rank and share a mutual interest in the well-being of the children, I feel it would be appropriate to display a more relaxed environment around them."

20

"I was under the impression that you prefer your Borg designation over your human name?" Sonell said as she raised an eyebrow.

"I did. However, the situation suggests that it is necessary for me to adapt. Considering that I have volunteered to raise children who have not been assimilated, a Borg designation would be inappropriate as their mother."

"Very well, Annika. You may call me Sonell. If I may be direct, are you prepared to raise your children in a way that will embrace their beliefs?"

"I often take a direct approach when communicating as well. I have the skills needed to provide them with the comfort and safety they require to survive, but I am not yet certain if I will provide them happiness."

"The Tulikon child will be the hardest to understand, I imagine. The Jutok girl is a lot like your species. In many ways, the Elzofa children are as well, but they have a deep spiritual connection to nature. It's one of the most important connection my people share with them."

"Then we will explore their beliefs together. As a mother, I must do everything I can to ensure my children's happiness. Your friendship and advice would bring both comfort and confidence to me as I raise these children."

"Then we will share this journey together, Annika. I will teach you how to be a parent and you will teach me how to trust others."

"I will comply, Sonell." Annika smiled.


	6. Bonds and Barriers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The RSS CONVERGENCE finally reaches the Votarin home world, Votari Prime. Deanna is relieved to learn that a Bazuli representative has arrived to consider her proposal. Her relief soon fades as the representatives struggle to respect each other's different beliefs. The Alanuma and Prodation confront each other while Deanna handles negotiations, forcing Odo to deal with the rising tension among the crew.

Chapter 6: Bonds and Barriers

Stardate: 50352.39

-

 _Captain's log, stardate 50352.39: The_ RSS Convergence  _has finally reached Votari Prime, where I will host a conference among the representatives who wish to form an alliance that closely resembles the United Federation of Planets. If successful, we will begin to combat the deadly threat that the Venomites pose to the quadrant. However, before we can combat the Venomite threat, we must first combat the stereotypes and misconceptions that have prevented us from attempting to create this alliance in the past. I fear that their unique cultures may be too diverse to unite..._

Deanna stared down at her crew from a concealed room on deck nine, built just above engineering. According to Lorrathi, the ship had been redesigned so that the captain would be able to observe her crew personally. She shook her head as two engineers, a Rotavi and Tulikon, began kissing outside one of the cargo bays. She tapped her combadge as Odo appeared on her left.

"Deanna to B'Elanna. There's a couple that needs to be escorted to their quarters in front of cargo bay five-A."

"On it, Captain."

     Deanna turned to face Odo now.

"I should hope these 'observation towers' aren't built to overlook our quarters as well." Odo joked with a grunt.

"No. These are only located on decks eight through eleven and deck thirteen and only in the corridors outside of work areas. Apparently, the team that salvaged this ship agreed that policing public acts of intimacy would be vital to maintaining order on this ship." Deanna said as B'Elanna escorted the two women to the nearest turbolift.

"For good reason, I should imagine. A crime of passion can be a powerful one; such passion is bound to disrupt those around you if you don't learn to contain it. Unfortunately, that engineer is a perfect example." Odo nodded as he watched the Klingon return to engineering, clearly frustrated now.

"B'Elanna? She may be somewhat of a loose cannon at times, but she doesn't choose to embrace her Klingon heritage like Worf or Alexander has." Deanna said, surprised by Odo's statement.

"I'm sure we can all be thankful for that, Captain. However, if there's one thing I've observed about Klingons, it's that passion is as much a weapon to them as a bat'leth; it's blade is wide and sharp, requiring a delicate balance of discipline and wisdom to use properly, but rewards them with honor and victory when successful." Odo said bluntly.

"I never really looked at it that way, Constable. I wasn't aware of your knowledge regarding Klingon culture either." Deanna said, clearly impressed now.

"Spend a few years with a Klingon and you'll be quite surprised to learn that the code they live by is more than just bloodshed." Odo nodded with a grunt.

"That's for certain. Is there something I can do for you, Constable?" Deanna asked now.

"It's nothing serious yet, but during my routine patrols, I've noticed signs of rising tension among the crew."

"I'm not surprised. The diversity between all their different cultures is what concerns me the most. I've addressed the sexual aspects of their cultures, but there are so many other aspects that need to be dealt with. I'm not sure I can do this, Odo."

"You're referring to the conference on Votari Prime?" Odo asked as he faced her.

"They expect me to unite them and end their suffering simply because I don't fear the Venomites like they do. That doesn't help when I've only just begun learning about their species."

"You may be their role-model, Captain, but I doubt that they expect you to do this on your own. Wasn't that the whole point of this alliance in the first place?"

"What would you suggest then?"

"If I may be so bold, I realize that you weren't prepared for this situation. However, it's time for you to stop thinking like a counselor and start thinking like a captain. What would the Captain do?"

2

"Admit his weakness and seek the people who can help him overcome it."

"Then that's what you should do, Captain." Odo smirked now.

"My mother was right about you, Constable. You've got a soft spot." Deanna grinned.

"Telling my Captain that she needs to do a better job is a 'soft spot'?" Odo scoffed.

"You were never quick to criticize my mother.  _That's_ your soft spot." Deanna said playfully.

"Perhaps, but right now it looks like your crew has too many soft spots." Odo grunted as he nodded towards the window.

"Deanna to B'Elanna, Dolamus and Hydova near cargo bay three-B. Better hurry."

"On my way." B'Elanna growled irritably after a short pause.

-

     Commander Takuln sat at a table in the mess hall on deck thirteen as his adoptive children quickly ate their food. He smiled as they ordered more now; their bodies required at least six meals a day according to the Doctor. Talorn, on the other hand, only required one meal a day and had already eaten.

     Commander Domika sat next to him now, approaching from behind. Talorn was uncomfortable around the crew because of his species' reputation, but this confrontation was one he could not avoid. He sighed as he stood up and walked over to the window in the right corner of the room. Domika followed him.

"What can I do for you, Commander Domika?" Talorn asked, struggling to appear cheerful.

"Well, I suppose that depends." Domika answered thoughtfully.

"Depends on what, exactly? Whether or not I've had relations with my children, or taken pleasure from watching them 'sleep'? Contrary to Mutorian stereotypes, I'm _not_ a monster, Commander." Talorn answered slowly and calmly.

"I find that hard to believe considering how many of your people take advantage of the Rotavi." Domika said innocently.

"The flaws of my people are the result of genetic sabotage. A biochemical attack altered our DNA and we reverted to a primal stage, feeding on greed. I'm insulted by your generalization of my species!"

"So why aren't you altered, hmm?" Domika asked playfully.

"Excuse me?" Talorn asked after a brief silence.

"Your children are happy and you're quite lost." Domika said as she started to hum.

     Domika continued to hum as Talorn considered her statement. He slowly looked down at her in surprise as she began to giggle silently. Talorn chuckled nervously at first, but felt relieved when Domika's giggle became a laugh.

"As the elder Rotavi, I made it my responsibility to check into everyone who made an adoption request concerning the Rotavi children. Much to my surprise, your record was impressive, to say the least." Domika smirked.

"I was raised by an Odari. His gift for observation was what allowed me to ignore my primal instincts. That man taught me how to evolve as an individual." Talorn smiled sadly as he stared out the window now.

"He's no longer among us?" Domika asked.

"No. The Creators took him seven years ago. The Odari only live for seventy years and then another is born to replace him. The Mutorians have no concept of family, but I was...blessed to have a loving father."

"The Rotavi are raised by their elders, but considering that we do not truly reach physical adulthood until the age of ninety-nine; the Rotavi have no parents, only sisters. Your children are barely fourteen, and _I_ , at the age of eighty-two, look no different." Domika chuckled as the girls stared up and laughed at her before digging into their food again.

3

"A planet full of sisters sounds like a comforting thought. If I had even  _one_ brother, I could share that comfort. It's more likely though that those children will be closest thing to a family I ever have." Talorn said as he watched the girls eat.

"Below us, the Votarin home world prepares for a meeting that hasn't happened since this ship was built five years ago, according to K'Mara. In all of my eighty-two years, no one has ever attempted to bring our people together like Captain Troi intends to. We may yet see a day when the Mutorians are no longer our enemy." Domika insisted.

"Perhaps, but Muturian greed will spread like a plague long before we see that day." Talorn growled.

"Let's focus on something more cheerful then." Domika suggested.

"Such as?"

"What about your daughters? They know how to cheer you up after a long day of work, don't they?"

"Excuse me?!" Talorn exclaimed with a tone of panic.

"Don't you find comfort in knowing that you have loved ones waiting for you when you get home?" Domika asked with that child-like innocence again.

"I would find comfort in knowing that my loved ones were dressed when I get home!" Talorn whispered after raising his voice.

"That was the correct response." Domika grinned sadistically.

"That was a test? The fact that you have no male Rotavi brings me great comfort. I doubt they'd survive long enough to meet the Creators with devious minds like yours." Talorn scowled as he regained his composure.

"I'm sorry, Commander, but I can't help it. The Rotavi have no boundaries upon the age of fourteen. To us, flirting holds the same significance to lust as d'mu crackers holds to shaloki chowder."

"Two things come to mind just now, Commander. The fact that you have knowledge of Mutorian cuisine is impressive. The fact that my daughters have no boundaries, on the other hand, is quite disturbing." Talorn said as he looked back at them again.

"Not to worry, Commander. The Rotavi consider lust as a necessity, not a luxury."

"What's the difference?" Talorn asked bluntly.

"Necessities are obtained in a civilized manner. Luxuries tend to be obtained through greed, however. There are plenty of species other than the Mutorians that prove my point, I mght add." Domika stated as she stared at the girls as well.

"Commander Domika, the awkwardness I'm stuck in may take some time to overcome, but I think I'm beginning to like you." Talorn smirked.

"I'd  _love_ to like you, Commander Takuln. I just have one more question for now."

"This wouldn't be another one of those awkward ones, I hope?"

"Not at all." Domika waited for Talorn's nod before asking "What took you so long? It's never taken me so long to make a friend."

-

     Deanna stood uncomfortably as she stood alone in one of the transporter rooms. She was quite nervous as she awaited the presence of her diplomatic aides. Taking Odo's advice to heart, she selected the crew members that knew the most about the representatives she'd be negotiating with. She knew that she had no hope of forging this alliance without understanding the cultures she was trying to unite.

     A curious thing happened when the rest of the away team walked into the transporter room. Deanna realized that they were already being transported. The team was put on full alert now, unsure as to where they would end up.

4

     When she finished materializing, Deanna looked around quickly. She realized she was not on Votari Prime and her away team was not with her anymore. The room was dark and empty, suggesting that it was a holding cell. In addition, the window on the wall told her that she was on another ship. As someone approached her, it became clear who the ship belonged to.

     A figure in metallic silver armor stood on the other side of the force field. He appeared to be two meters tall and probably weighed at least one hundred and fifteen kilos. The armor itself had built-in weapons, among other pieces of technology.

"What am I doing here?" Deanna asked calmly.

"I am not obligated to answer the questions of a criminal." The figure replied.

"Bazuli, if your code of justice is honorable, you  _are_ to state the crimes I'm suspected of." Deanna pointed out.

"I am Alpha-Officer Three of the Votarin sector. You are charged with the mass-murder of the Venomite crew on Venomite vessel three-seven-seven-eight-four-eight-two. Bazuli patrols witnessed the incident thirty-six point eight light-years away and made the determination that the force used was excessive." The Bazuli said.

"What is the accuracy of Bazuli sensors at that range, Alpha Three, if I may call you that?"

"I am not obligated to answer the questions of a criminal."

"Do you realize that I'm supposed to be a guest of the Votarins at this time?"

"I am not obligated to answer the questions of a criminal."

"Alpha-Three, I will comply with any of your procedures, but if you do not release me, a rare chance to unite the victims of Venomite injustice could be lost. Is there justice in letting the quadrant suffer to pursue the crimes of a single individual?" Deanna asked after considering her next words carefully.

"No." Alpha Three answered after a long silence.

"So, where do we go from here? I can't unite these people if they think I'm a killer."

"There is only one procedure which can prove your innocence." Alpha Three stated before walking through the force field.

     The Bazuli pulled a small cube-shaped device off of the left side of his belt. The cube flew out of its hand before Deanna realized what was going on. She was overwhelmed by darkness as the cube attached itself to her forehead. She heard a voice in her head now.

_"I am Alpha-Officer Three. Do you consent to the investigation of your memories?"_

_"I have nothing to hide."_

_"Then I will proceed."_

    An hour later, Deanna slowly regained consciousness as the cube returned to Alpha Three's waist. She struggled to regain control of her emotions as the Bazuli stood in silence. When she was stable, she spoke softly.

"Are you convinced of my innocence?"

"You are not responsible for the deaths of the Venomite crew." Alpha Three replied with shock.

"No. A brutalized Dajoni child did this. Is she guilty of a crime though?"

"The Bazuli code judges each species by its own laws unless such laws do not exist."

"What does Dajoni law suggest in this instance?"

"There is no record of an incident like this. All available evidence suggests that under these extreme circumstances, the deaths of the Venomite crew are to be treated as an accident." Alpha Three answered slowly.

5

"Then all is forgiven?"

"No." Alpha Three replied bluntly.

"Excuse me?"

"According to Dajoni law, if a child is suspected of a crime, the parents are placed on probation." Alpha Three stated.

"On what grounds?" Deanna asked in disbelief.

"Dajoni children are dangerous due to their lack of control. Therefore, the parents are considered guilty of negligence if their children are suspected of a telepathic crime. It may seem harsh to outsiders like you, but the bond between child and parent is significant, making incidents like this rare."

"What happens now?"

"Under normal circumstances, a Bazuli mind probe is implanted in the brain stem. However, such a procedure would prevent the alliance you seek. As a member of this alliance, the Bazuli Justice would prefer you as an ally and not an enemy.

"Therefore, the frequency of the Omega chamber powering your ship has been recorded and filed in the Bazuli database. Your ship will be closely monitored for the next three years. I suspect your code of justice is as honorable is ours, but be warned; The distance between any two Bazuli ships is rarely more than fifty light-years apart. We'll be watching you, Captain Deanna Troi."

"I don't think such an extreme measure is necessary, but as I stated, I will abide by all Bazuli procedures in this investigation. I should also point out that the alliance I'm proposing isn't possible without mutual trust between all species, including ours."

"That is a statement of truth, Captain Troi. However, trust has limits. Trust is only extended so far, otherwise you risk exposing your deepest secrets." Alpha Three replied thoughtfully.

"Alpha Three, you have me curious now. Are you man or machine?" Deanna asked with a weak smile.

"My trust...does not extend that far yet, Captain." Alpha Three replied carefully.

"Am I free to go now, Alpha Three?"

"I will accompany you. I am the Bazuli representative considering your alliance."

     Deanna saw herself materializing after Alpha Three tapped his left shoulder. When she rematerialized, she found herself sitting at the head of a table. All of the other representatives were present, along with her away team.

"I trust you reached a favorable verdict, Alpha-Officer Three?" Captain Lorrathi asked calmly, floating in his tank at the opposite end from Deanna.

"For the time being, Captain Lorrathi." The Bazuli answered before turning to face K'Mara, "This woman has pledged her life to you, Creator K'Mara. Don't waste her pledge."

     K'Mara nodded after a brief silence.

"Now onto business. As you're all aware, the Votarins have worked hard to form this alliance to defend ourselves against the dangers of the Zeta Quadrant. The Venomites pose the greatest threat to our species at this time, but there are other threats we need to address. Before we can defend ourselves, we'll need to overcome our differences and embrace our similarities. For that, I've called on the help of a neutral party. Captain Troi, I yield leadership to you at this point." Lorrathi bowed.

"Thank you, Captain Lorrathi." Deanna said nervously as she looked around at her potential allies before closing her eyes and breathing; she felt a new sense of calm as she opened her eyes, "I'd like to thank you all for finding the courage to overcome your primal instinct to distrust the people around you. In the past, my job was to help people overcome their weaknesses and turn them into strengths. That part of my job hasn't changed as I address you today. However, I've never had to help this many people before. If you have doubts, I share them; if you have concerns, I share them; if you have negative emotions, I share them. I've come to you because you're alone and realized you can't face your issues alone and neither can I. I believe we have the power to help each other confront these issues and walk away as better people than we met as. If you agree, help me make this idea become reality. Now, where shall we begin?"

-

6

     When Deanna finally got back to her quarters, she was exhausted. K'Mara followed closely behind, equally worn out from the first round of negotiations. Julora could see this simply by looking at them. They slowly relaxed as the fact that they were finally together as a family became a collective realization.

"Is it really that hard to make a friend?" Julora asked.

"I didn't know we were so different. It was easy to get along when we were slaves." K'Mara answered sleepily.

"You didn't have a choice though. You wouldn't have survived as slaves if you hadn't gotten along with each other." Deanna pointed out.

"So wouldn't it make sense that we have to get along again if we want to avoid being slaves?" K'Mara asked.

"Well, yes, it makes perfect sense. You were there though, K'Mara. These people don't want to abandon their ways of life now that they can practice them again."

"Mother, isn't there some way to make them see that this alliance can give them what they've been fighting for?" K'Mara asked, her eyes pleading now.

"Only if we can find a way to connect them. We need to prove that they all share common interests other than eliminating their enemies." Deanna answered thoughtfully.

"Are the Mutorians a threat to the alliance?" Julora asked suddenly.

"Why would you ask that, Sweetie?"

"I was speaking to Commander Takuln in the mess hall earlier. He felt he had betrayed his people by helping us."

"Did he actually say that?"

"No, Mother, but he was thinking it."

"Julora, you shouldn't read other people's thoughts unless they say it's okay." Deanna replied with a frown.

"I'm sorry, Mother. He looked so lonely when he was eating; I wanted to know why."

"Didn't he adopt three Rotavi children?" K'Mara asked, curious now.

"Yes, but he doesn't feel close to them because of their differences." Julora answered.

"Speaking of differences," Deanna murmured before tapping her com-badge, "Troi to Ezri."

"Ezri here, Captain."

"Please report to my quarters. I need your help with something."

"On my way, Captain. Ezri out."

     K'Mara and Julora stood up from the couch and said good night before heading off to bed. Deanna smiled before letting out a sigh of relief; the Dajoni's telepathic bond was the only thing giving her the strength to raise her daughters. It bridged the gap between her species and theirs, allowing them to understand each other in ways that wouldn't have otherwise been possible. They learned, they loved, and they grew; these were the qualities Deanna needed to see in her crew and the alliance if they hoped to overcome their past.

     The door chimed.

"Come in."

     Ezri walked in. She appeared calm and attentive, but Deanna could sense that her emotional aura was dreading this moment. Both women sat down at the table in the back left corner. After a moment of silence, Ezri spoke first.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready for this, Captain."

"To be honest, Ezri, I'm not sure if I am either. After three hundred years though, I'm sure you don't have to be a counselor to realize that I have too much on my plate." Deanna replied softly with a faint smile.

7

"No, I don't, Captain. Up until now, you've never had to adjust to such an extreme change in your identity. You were happily married as a counselor and now you're a captain, single mother of two, and possibly the head founder of a new Federation. I've been through the same thing eight times now, so I knew I'd have to pick you up eventually." Ezri said.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant?" Deanna asked in response to the Trill's last statement.

"I'm sorry, Captain, that didn't come out the way I meant it. Jadzia could say that with confidence, but I'm not sure that Ezri has finished picking herself up yet. What I meant-."

"No, thank you, Ezri. It helps to be reminded that we're mortal. Being reminded by a woman who has three hundred years on me and still shares the same struggles is exactly what I need right now."

"Focus on your new role; I'll take care of your old role." Ezri said with a nervous smile.

"There are many people who would consider your situation as a demotion, but know this; your role is one of great importance. What you do for this crew and the people we meet will have profound impacts on everyone around us. Furthermore, with three hundred years of experience, there aren't many things you haven't done. If you ever begin to doubt your importance to this crew, or myself, just remember, you're a 'Jack of all trades' and there isn't anyone like you."

**Author's Note:**

> Regarding spelling errors: I'll correct them as I go. However, since I'm writing this directly to Archive with ADHD, I find that expressing my ideas before they're forgotten holds a higher priority. I'd like to thank everyone who has read what I've started so far.  
> 


End file.
